Numerous Conservative parliamentarians have voiced support for the US’s new peace plan as a basis for renewed negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians.
In the House of Commons, among MPs to contribute to an Urgent Question debate of the issue included CFI Parliamentary Chairman (Commons) Rt. Hon. Stephen Crabb MP, CFI Officer Bob Blackman MP, Damian Hinds MP, Robert Courts MP, Rt. Hon. Robert Halfon MP, and Aaron Bell MP.
Middle East Minister Rt. Hon. Andrew Murrison encouraged Israelis and Palestinians to give the US Peace Plan “genuine and fair consideration”.
In response to a question from Robert Halfon MP, Middle East Minister Rt. Hon. Andrew Murrison MP underlined that any peace settlement must include recognition of the plight of 850,000 Jewish refugees from Middle East and North African countries as well as the Palestinians.
The Middle East Minister said: “The refugee issue is sometimes not necessarily associated with Jewish refugees. I remember reading a good book on this subject called ‘Uprooted’ – he no doubt has a copy—that explains the situation exceptionally well. Of course, any settlement needs to include Jewish refugees as well as Palestinian refugees”.
In the House of Lords, CFI Honorary President Lord Polak CBE pointed out that Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE, and Qatar have welcomed the US peace plan, and called on Lords not to be quick in rejecting the proposals.
CFI Parliamentary Chairman in the House of Lords Rt. Hon. The Lord Pickles urged the Government to “be on the side of peace” and “do its best to facilitate this important peace process”. He stated: “The period between now and the Oslo Accords has been littered with missed opportunities, all of which have generally involved the Palestinian Authority’s refusal to engage”.
