Ex-Middle East minister Alistair Burt has welcomed the current Prime Minister’s endorsement of the International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace as a vital step towards “the building of a civil society” that could bring the prospect of a two-state solution in the region closer.
Appearing before the Foreign Affairs Select Committee Alistair Burt noted that Keir Starmer had confirmed that the foreign secretary would soon convene an inaugural meeting of international partners sitting on the body at a meeting in London.
Burt, who was a foreign office minister under PM David Cameron, spoke of the need not to give up on attempts to force a peace process between Israelis and Palestinians even at times when things appeared difficult.
“Look for where there are things happening,” Burt told the Committee, as he assessed the current dire situation in the region, including the continued capture of the British-Israel hostage Emily Damari.
Point to Starmer’s confirmation about the International Fund, made at yesterday’s Labour Friends of Israel lunch, Burt said:”I spoke of (the Fund) in 2018, and I think the prime minister endorsed it last night at a meeting.
“This is the beginning of civil society. There are people working across the communities now, in the West Bank, and in Israel and that’s very important it keeps going.”
Starmer told Monday’s LFI lunch: “Labour has long supported LFI’s campaign for the establishment of an International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace. I reiterate that support today.
“And the Foreign Secretary will convene an inaugural meeting in London to support civil society in the region, as part of that work to negotiate a two-state solution.”
The announcement was welcomed also by LFI director Michael Rubin.
He told Jewish News:”Labour repeatedly promised in opposition to support an International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace and the Prime Minister’s words yesterday show he’s determined to keep that promise.
“This summit will kick-start progress and bring together all the key players we need to turn the concept of an International Fund into the “concrete reality” of which David Lammy spoke just a year ago.”
Michael Rubin, Labour Friends of Israel.
Appearing before the committee, chaired by Emily Thornberry, on Tuesday, Burt also said he still believed a two state solution was the only practical one to end the deadly conflict.
He said he had attended a conference at which he spoke with young Palestinians who had argued that two-states were now a “delusion” and that one state for the region was the real solution.
“I spoke to young Palestinians who said ‘it’s a two-state delusion, we want one state, everybody can live here side by side,” he told the committee.
“But of course that’s not a Jewish state, and I’ve not spoken to anyone who thinks it would be credible for Israel to agree to a situation in which it does not have command of its territory and safety and security for historical reasons and everything else.”
The former minister added:” Quite angry voices say why can’t we all live together and all have the same rights.
“The practicalities appear .. it’s just not going to happen.
“That’s why for me, two states is still a better answer than anything else.”
