In Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Questions on Tuesday, Conservative MP Sheryll Murray called for the UK to take one of the board seats available on the International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace.
The MP for South East Cornwall said that “with the G7 coming to Cornwall, we should underline our commitment to international institutions and multilateral co-operation”. She asked: “We welcomed the US Middle East Partnership for Peace Act in December, but does the Minister agree that it is now time for the UK to take a board seat on the international fund for Israeli-Palestinian peace?
Middle East Minister James Cleverly said that “we always take a keen interest in any initiatives that encourage peace and co-operation between the Israeli Government and the Palestinian Authority, and indeed, the Israeli people and the Palestinian people”. “We will continue to work alongside governments in the region and the US administration in pursuit of that objective”, he said.
In December, the US Congress passed the Middle East Partnership for Peace Act, which will provide $250 million over 5 years for peacebuilding between Israelis and Palestinians. There are two international board seats available and an opportunity for the UK to take up a seat and be involved in the initiative from the outset.
The Britain-Israel All Party Parliamentary Group hosted a cross-party Zoom briefing on Wednesday with the Alliance for Middle East Peace to discuss UK support for peacebuilding and coexistence projects, chaired by Conservative MP Bob Blackman.
