Foreign Secretary Speech at the High-Level Ministerial
Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution,
UN
As the son of two Jewish refugees, I speak to this gathering as
somebody with profound gratitude for the state of Israel for
looking after my grandmother after the Second World War, after
she lost her husband at the hands of the Nazis.
I speak as someone that, I think everyone in this room would
agree, was appalled by the attacks of October the seventh by
Hamas and the murder that they perpetrated.
But I can speak equally as somebody appalled by the suffering of
the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank.
There is only one route to security, freedom, and dignity for the
Israelis and Palestinian people, and that is the two-state
solution. But the truth is that we all now have belief in the
two-state solution, but it is being destroyed by the facts on the
ground. The latest being the E1 tender that took place in August
of this year.
That is why the UK government, alongside France and Canada,
following the fantastic example of countries like Ireland and
Spain, the Netherlands, and Norway, took the decision to not only
declare that the occupation of the territories was illegal, but
to take action on the basis of our economic relationships with
the illegal settlements: the banning of the import of goods,
and the attempt to break off the supply lines of finance and
construction to settlement expansion.
These are necessary steps, but they are not sufficient.
It is good that we acted with others.
It is important that we say that the work of the Palestinian
Authority to provide a single legitimate Palestinian
framework is important.
It is important that we say that Hamas will play no role in the
future governments of Gaza, but it must decommission weapons and
must irradicate terrorism.
It is important also that we support the U.S.-led 20-point plan.
But let us be absolutely honest in this room, that the biggest
danger we face is in a year's time, we are sitting here again
talking about the importance of the two-state solution and the
facts on the ground that only got worse.
So, what is it that we need to do?
I think there are two things that will make all the difference,
and I think all of the countries in this room and those not in
this room to consider this.
First of all, moral clarity about what is happening. If we are
silent, if we avoid the truth, then we cannot hope to make
progress.
And secondly, political pressure on the government of Israel.
This is absolutely crucial to making a difference. I chaired with
Jordan this morning a meeting about the humanitarian situation in
Gaza. The humanitarian situation in Gaza, the blocking of basic
medical supplies, children dying waiting for operations, waiting
for treatment, should shame us all. It should shame the whole
international community, and indeed, I think it should shame
members of the Israeli government, who are letting this happen.
So I appeal to everybody in this room. Let us think very, very
hard about what we can do in the weeks and months ahead, so that
we do not meet again in a year's time with more suffering, more
tragedy for the people of Gaza and the West Bank. Thank you,
Council.
