Conflict in the Middle East

Debate between Lord Bishop of Southwark and Lord Collins of Highbury

Monday 16th June 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab)]

Let me be clear that no Government publish their legal advice, and I am certainly not going to go down that route.

I agree with the noble Baroness that Israeli settlements are illegal under international law and do harm prospects for a two-state solution. Settlements do not offer security to Israelis or Palestinians. Settlement expansion and settler violence have reached record levels.

The noble Lord, Lord Purvis, asked me about the recognition of the Palestinian state. Sadly, as a consequence of the current situation, the conference on the two-state solution that should have been held this week has been postponed, for understandable reasons. We are very keen to work with France and the Saudis to ensure that that conference is reconvened. We remain committed to recognising the Palestinian state, but at the moment when it will achieve the most impact. We need to ensure that the conference and the focus on the two-state solution can be a real, achievable vision in the near future.

[The Lord Bishop of Southwark]

My Lords, I pray for wise judgment and a swift end to the current conflict between Israel and Iran. I pray for restraint and for the safety and well-being of Jewish people, here and around the world. I support the steps that have been made to protect British nationals and I am appalled by the attacks on civilians, wherever they occur.

On the Statement made in the other place last Tuesday, we on this Bench are clear that the Israeli Government’s prosecution of their war in Gaza is now displacing Palestinians from their homes and destroying the infrastructure necessary to support life. It is a war that cannot be divorced from the accelerated annexation of land we are seeing in the West Bank. I welcome the recent steps the Government have taken to sanction racist and extremist elements in the Israeli Government. I urge them, however, to go further and recognise Palestinian statehood while a recognisable Palestinian structure remains, not to await a more conducive time that may never materialise. Will the Minister look again at the advice to businesses trading with illegal settlements, as well as the current labelling of settlement goods?

[Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab)]

Our commitment to a two-state solution is unwavering. We are committed to recognising a Palestinian state, but at a time when it has the most impact in achieving that reality, and is most conducive to long-term prospects for peace. We are clear that that does not need to be at the end of the process. Certainly, UK bilateral recognition is the single most important action the United Kingdom can take with regard to Palestinian statehood. It is important to get the timing right, so that it creates genuine momentum and is not simply a symbolic gesture.

We have noted President Macron’s comments and we are in constant dialogue with all partners on how we can best use the postponed conference to advance Palestinian statehood and the two-state solution.

On the other elements of the right reverend Prelate’s question, the current guidance and processes are more than adequate in terms of identifying that.

Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories

Debate between Lord Bishop of Southwark and Lord Collins of Highbury

Monday 9th June 2025 Lords Chamber

[The Lord Bishop of Southwark]

My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister and to His Majesty’s Government for the Statement on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. May I press the Minister on two things? The first is the attack by Israeli forces on the compound of the Anglican al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza, killing five, including three journalists and a father escorting his son to the surgical unit for treatment for prior injuries. This is the latest in a number of attacks by the IDF on church hospitals and churches, in defiance of international law. Will the Minister accept that specific actions are now required, since reasoned pleas have been ignored?

Secondly, in light of what the Minister has said about the UN conference from 17 to 20 June and the conducive time to recognise Palestine, will he confirm that a bold and clear statement will be made at that conference of the Government’s firm intention to recognise the state of Palestine?

[Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab)]

I say to the right reverend Prelate that I have been clear about when we will recognise the state of Palestine, and that is when it is most conducive to that two-state solution. We will work with allies to ensure that we can create those conditions. The conference is part of that, but not the sole part. He is absolutely right to condemn the actions in Gaza and the Occupied Territories in terms of the use of violence; I think we can all be very concerned.

It is frustrating if it appears that we are not doing anything. We are absolutely determined to work with our allies so that the Government of Israel fully understand our concerns. Of course, we voted on 4 June in favour of the UN Security Council resolution focused on the humanitarian situation in Gaza. We highlighted that the Israeli Government’s decisions to expand its military operations in Gaza and severely restrict aid are totally unjustifiable, disproportionate and counterproductive. With our allies, we have called for an end to restrictions on aid. We believe that UN and other humanitarian partners must be allowed to operate, and we must be able to get back to a situation where we can get aid to where it is most needed.

On 19 May, we released a joint statement with Canada and France calling for Israel to cease its renewed military offensive and lift restrictions, so we are using what mechanisms we can. We are also using specific actions bilaterally against the Government of Israel. The initial one was the restriction of arms sales; another concerned the trade agreement. We are absolutely committed to ensuring that we work with our allies to make sure that the Government of Israel know our deep concern about this situation.