(Harrow East)
(Con) [V]: I welcome the Government’s strong condemnation of
anti-Israel bias at the UN Human Rights Council
recently, but the robust stance that we have taken there
conflicts with our voting at the United Nations General Assembly,
where we have supported dozens of resolutions hostile to
Israel, even one erasing the
Jewish connection to Jerusalem.
Will my right hon. Friend commit to ensure that, going forward,
our actions will better reflect our words?
The Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development
Affairs and First Secretary of State (): My hon. Friend is always a great champion for all the
different community groups in his constituency. He is right to
talk about the importance of balance in these UN resolutions. In
fact, our record has not changed in recent years; it has been
consistent. We support the Palestinian right to
self-determination consistent with a two-state solution. We
support the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.
We have called out illegal Israeli settlements.
In relation to Jerusalem, what he says is not
quite correct, because the resolution explicitly notes its
importance as a holy site for the three monotheistic religions.
We have also voted against one resolution and abstained on three
precisely because we did not feel they were balanced.
