Middle East

Viscount Hailsham Excerpts

Monday 1st September 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

On the issue of attendance at the UN General Assembly, it is obviously an issue for the US to decide who enters the country, but it is not right to deny Mr Abbas the ability to take part in the event in New York. We will make that clear, but ultimately it is up to the US to make that decision.

I note what the noble Baroness says about Canada; it is an interesting suggestion which I had not previously heard. I know the Canadians have the G7 as well, so I do not know what consideration they may have given to that.

As to the timing of the ICJ, I am not aware that we are able to speed that up in any way, but I hear what the noble Baroness says about her desire to see progress.

[Viscount Hailsham (Con)]

My Lords, I am appalled by the policies of Mr Netanyahu and his coalition partners. I used to know Mr Netanyahu when I worked in the Foreign Office and I am in no way surprised that he is acting in the way that he is. That said, if the Government recognise Palestine as a sovereign state—territories which have none of the usual characteristics of a sovereign state—surely Hamas and associated terrorist organisations will claim the credit for such recognition. Are the Government comfortable with that prospect?

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

Hamas should not claim the credit, but what it claims and what is true will be very different. It may well make statements to that effect, but they are not true. We are being as clear as we possibly can be that this is about protecting the viability of a two-state solution; that is our sole motivation here. Hamas is an appalling organisation; it has no role in the future administration of any state, and it should release the hostages immediately. Until that happens, it is very difficult to see how we get any sustained peace.