: The G7, bilateral discussions with President Biden
and the possibility of a new Government in Israel also provide a
real chance to restart a meaningful middle east peace process.
The appalling violence recently, which killed 63 children in Gaza
and two children in Israel, shows just how urgent this is.
For too many people in Palestine, the promise of an end to the
occupation and a recognised sovereign Palestinian state feels
more distant than ever, so will the Prime Minister take the
opportunity this weekend to press for renewed international
agreement to finally recognise the state of Palestine, alongside
a safe and secure Israel; to stop the expansion of illegal
settlements; and to get a meaningful peace process back up and
running?
The Prime Minister: It has been a long-standing objective of this
Government, and I think it is common ground across the House,
that the solution for the middle east peace process is a
two-state solution. We continue to press for that, and I have
made that position plain in my conversations with both the
Palestinian Authority and of course with Israel.
The right hon. and learned Gentleman attacked the Government for
failing to be sufficiently ambitious in our overseas aid
spending—I think I heard him say that in that compendious
question. [Interruption.] He is gesturing at the Government
Benches. Under this Government we have spent more and continue to
spend more than Labour ever did under Blair and under Brown, and
even when they were spending money on Brazilian dancers in
Hackney—which is what they did—to raise consciousness of global
poverty. We are spending £10 billion a year at a time of acute
financial difficulty for this country, and I think the British
people know that that is the right priority for this country. If
Labour Members want a vote on that matter, I remind them that the
people of this country had an opportunity last month to vote on
the way the Government were handling things and the balance that
we were striking, and they adjudicated firmly in favour of the
Government. The Opposition pontificate and prevaricate and
procrastinate—
