Extracts from Business Questions: Israel - May 13
Friday, 14 May 2021 07:05
Thangam Debbonaire (Bristol West) (Lab):...The news and images from
the middle east this morning are truly horrifying. We join the
Government in urging calm. We ask them to do all they can to halt
the terrifying attacks and loss of life and to work with allies to
help restore a peace process... Owen Thompson (Midlothian)
(SNP):...I share the concerns of other Members about the ongoing
situation in Israel and Palestine. I think that is of great concern
to us all. Would the Leader of the House...Request free trial
(Bristol West) (Lab):...The news and images from the
middle east this morning are truly horrifying. We join the
Government in urging calm. We ask them to do all they can to halt
the terrifying attacks and loss of life and to work with allies to
help restore a peace process...
(Midlothian) (SNP):...I share the concerns of
other Members about the ongoing situation in Israel and Palestine. I
think that is of great concern to us all. Would the Leader of the
House perhaps make time available for the Secretary of State for
International Trade to give a statement to the House on the impact
of arms export licences and how this has such an impact on
conflicts around the globe?
The Leader of the House of Commons (Mr Jacob Rees-
Mogg):...The hon. Gentleman rightly raises the question of
arms export licences. They are extremely carefully controlled and
Her Majesty’s Government work closely with our allies to ensure
that we sell arms only to those countries with which we have the
closest relationship, as of course we do with the state of
Israel...
(Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill) (SNP):
On this holy day of Eid, a day of salvation
for Muslims across the world, many including in my own constituency
are watching with horror as an abhorrent humanitarian crisis
escalates against the Palestinian people in that region. It may
well be an uncomfortable truth for the UK Government that they have
fuelled, and continue to fuel, deadly conflicts such as the one we
are seeing in Gaza through the reckless sale of arms to right-wing
coalition Governments, but it is a truth none the less. Given the
continued intransigence of this UK Government and their willingness
to turn a blind eye, will the Leader of the House allow a full and
frank debate on such matters, and allow us, the Members of this
House, the opportunity to work to stop such atrocities being
committed at the hands of our perceived allies?
Mr Rees-Mogg: The hon. Gentleman has mentioned Eid, and this is an
opportunity to wish people a joyous Eid. It is also, of course, the
feast of the Ascension, so it is an important religious day for
many communities. I mentioned earlier the issue of the sale of
arms, which is covered very carefully by regulations that ensure
that arms are sold only to regimes that we have close relationships
with, that are our key allies, and that behave in a humane and
proper way. The Government have called for restraint on both sides
and pointed out that the killing of unarmed civilians is always
wrong in the conflict that is currently going on, but
Israel is a very
important ally to the United Kingdom
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