The Foreign Secretary reflected that on a visit to Israel, “I saw people of all religions living their lives freely there, and that is to be commended”. He added: “Through this rare period when the three great religions celebrate these significant events at the same time of the year… I am pleased that opportunities were taken to de-escalate and to support religious freedom”.
His remarks came in response to a question from CFI Parliamentary Chairman (Commons) Rt. Hon. Stephen Crabb MP, who underlined that “more than 1 million worshippers were able to visit the Temple Mount during Ramadan”. He praised Israel as a “remarkable example of religious freedom and tolerance in the Middle East”, noting that Easter, Passover and Ramadan were “celebrated… freely” in the country.
Mr Cleverly also celebrated the Abraham Accords between Israel and her regional partners during the session, describing the peace agreements as a “fantastic stepping-stone towards wider regional security and that peaceful, sustainable two-state solution”. Conservative MP Mark Pritchard championed the Accords as a “huge breakthrough in diplomatic dialogue”, and “a force for good”. He called for the Palestinian leadership to recognise that “the region is changing” and to join efforts to achieve peace.
