Israel doesn’t choose “the benefits of returning to fighting,” Mr Cameron, Israel wants to live in peace with its neighbours. Hamas wants Israel destroyed. It is British foreign policy that is the real failure here.
The UK Foreign Secretary has said that Britain is ready formally recognise a Palestinian state even before a would-be peace deal has been agreed, prompting Number 10 to quickly state that its policy hasn’t changed regarding a two-state solution. The remarks were made at a Westminster event in which the former PM accused Israel of ’30 years of failure’ in providing security for its people.
David Cameron believes that by the UK recognising a Palestinian state, including at the UN, it would force Israel into a position to accept. Quite frankly, doing so unilaterally is an insult to Israel, which is currently fighting for its survival against Hamas, which was responsible for breaking the ceasefire that existed before 7th October. Furthermore, recognising a Palestinian state without Israel’s consent would be perceived as a reward for Hamas – which incidentally doesn’t even recognise the State of Israel, but rather aims to eradicate it.
Speaking to a the Conservative Middle East Council, Lord Cameron suggested that Britain could give formal, diplomatic recognition to a Palestinian state not as part of a final peace deal, but earlier, during the negotiations themselves. He added, “Together with that, almost most important of all, is to give the Palestinian people a political horizon so that they can see that there is going to be irreversible progress to a two-state solution and crucially the establishment of a Palestinian state.
“We have a responsibility there because we should be starting to set out what a Palestinian state would look like, what it would comprise, how it would work and crucially, looking at the issue, that as that happens, we with allies will look at the issue of recognising a Palestinian state, including at the United Nations.
“That could be one of the things that helps to make this process irreversible.”
As part of any long-term deal, the foreign secretary said Israel would need to see all hostages released, with a guarantee that Hamas could not launch attacks on Israel and its leadership had left Gaza.
He said a deal would be “difficult” but not impossible.
Former minister Theresa Villiers told the Commons “bringing forward and accelerating unilateral recognition of Palestinian state would be to reward Hamas’ atrocities”.
Further comments by Cameron at the event raise some serious questions about his perception of Israel’s role in the conflict, in which he accused Israel of “30 years of failure” in failing to provide its people with security. Again, it is wrong to point the finger at Israel for – in his opinion – failing at security for over 30 years when Israel has experienced three decades – and more – of having no choice but to defend itself against Jew-hating terrorists who have murdered and injured innocent Israeli civilians and soldiers. And, Cameron, despite knowing this, decides to place blame on Israel and attribute recognising a Palestinian state as the solution.
“There is a path that we can now see opening up where we really can make progress, not just in ending the conflict, but progress in finding a political solution that can mean peace for years rather than peace for months,” he said.
The real challenge would be to “turn that pause into a sustainable ceasefire without a return to the fighting, he said.
“That is the prize we should be looking for, and more than that, not just how you go from pause to sustainable ceasefire, but how you go from there to a set of political moves and arrangements that could start to deliver the longer term political solution,” Lord Cameron said.
“Although it is incredibly difficult, although efforts in the past have failed, we cannot give up.
“If the last 30 years tells us anything, it is a story of failure.
“Ultimately it is a story of failure for Israel because yes, they had a growing economy, yes they had rising living standards, yes they invested in defence and security and walls and the rest of it, but they couldn’t provide what a state most wants, what every family wants, which is security.
“And so the last 30 years has been a failure.
“And it is only by recognising that failure and recognising that true peace and progress will come when the benefits of peace and progress are greater than the benefits of returning to fighting.”
Israel doesn’t choose “the benefits of returning to fighting,” Mr Cameron, Israel wants to live in peace with its neighbours. Hamas wants Israel destroyed. It is British foreign policy that is the real failure here.
Why Israel?
Free Ebook
Why Israel answers the critical questions and presents the essential reasons why Israel matters to God, to Christians and to the world.
