Transcription
The initial phase of the US-backed peace plan represents a significant breakthrough. I want to thank the US administration, President Trump, and regional mediators for having secured this outcome. They put in the hard yards and found solutions, making clear that all progress would depend on the release of the hostages, a condition that some other governments forgot.
Mr. Speaker, with this peace deal, there is much to be hopeful for in the Middle East. If the Abraham Accords are expanded, a new age of peace will have arrived. We will see diplomatic normalization of Israel with the Arab world, something many of us have longed to see.
And it saddens me that the prime minister's statement does not appear to show that the UK was at the heart at the heart of any of these efforts specifically. It is quite clear that UK relations with Israel have been strained by the actions of this government. Their view, and they have stated publicly, is that it looks like, under pressure from his own backbenches, the prime minister has taken the wrong decisions time and time again, diminishing our influence in the region. They can shout "shame" as much as they want to.
Mr. Speaker, within weeks of Labour coming into power, they decided to restore funding to ENRA. We haven't forgotten an organization. They say yes, that's an organization whose members assisted in the kidnapping of these hostages, the release of which we are celebrating today. Relations with Israel have been so damaged that when Israel launched strikes against Iran, a country that has been a direct threat to us for years, the UK was out of the loop. They may not like it, but it is the truth.
And then, in a move praised by Hamas, Labour decided to recognize a state of Palestine with no condition to release the hostages still held in the tunnels of Gaza, rewarding terrorism. They may chant from a sedentary position. I will remind them of what the former British Israeli hostage Emily Deari said. She called it a moral failure. I'm surprised to hear the prime minister say in his statement that it was a contribution to this peace deal. We all know that the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned this recognition, saying it had made ceasefire negotiations harder. That is what the US said.
The truth is, as historic events have unfolded in the Middle East, Britain has been out of step with the US. The US ambassador to Israel even called the government's claim that it played a key role in the ceasefire "delusional," something Israeli foreign ministers agreed with.
Mr. Speaker, I welcome the prime minister's promise to scale up protection for Jewish people in our country. Britain has always been a sanctuary for British Jews. But after the tragic murder of two British Jews outside a synagogue in Manchester, the government must now do everything it can to eradicate anti-semitism. The anti-Israel protesters who have turned our streets into theaters of hate have been relatively silent about the good news of a ceasefire and hostage return, showing us their real motivation.
The prime minister mentioned in his uh statement the Palestinian Authority. Can he tell us whether the government's preference for the Palestinian Authority to take the reins in Gaza, if they have committed to end the pay-for-slaves policies that reward families of terrorists for killing Israelis? Will it deal with anti-semitism in education? And are they demonstrating any democratic progress?
Mr. Speaker, there are also domestic implications. We need to strengthen our borders. Hamas is still running Gaza. Those who would be allowed to leave can only do so with Hamas's approval. We should not be bringing anyone to Britain with links to extremism, anti-semitism, or to Hamas and other terrorists. So, can the prime minister confirm whether he intends to bring people from Gaza to study for healthcare or for other purposes? And what measures are in place to ensure we are not importing extremism, anti-semitism, or anyone linked to Hamas and other terrorists?
Mr. Speaker, Britain is a great country and still a powerful one. We still have agency to shape the world around us. The government must do better and show it has the backbone to use Britain's power to make a better world.
Wow. Uh, can I thank her for the uh words uh she said about the hostages, um, uh, just a moment ago, and I know how heartfelt they are. I was surprised and saddened that she spent more time attacking what we actually did to help the process than even mentioning the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, without setting out in terms the number of people that have been killed, that are starving, been subjected to denial of aid, when the immediate task for any serious government is to work with allies to get that aid in at speed. I would have expected at least an acknowledgement of that terrible situation. It shows yet again just how far her party has slid from a serious states approach to diplomacy. This is not the time for a fight about what role any individual played. I am proud, I am proud of what Steve Wickoff said about our national security adviser. He, he was negotiating this. He knows absolutely the role we played, and this house should be proud that we played that role. We played that role only because of the relationship that this government has with the Trump administration. We are a trusted partner, working both before this peace deal, uh, and afterwards. And yes, I did discuss recognition of Palestine with President Trump when he was over here. That's what grown-up, responsible partners do. Unlike the discussion here, and I stand by my words, that the first time in New York was the first time that other countries in the region were clear in their condemnation of Hamas. That was a key and important, uh, aspect of what has now, um, happened.
Um, in relation to her questions, she will know from the reforms that have already been committed to, uh, that the Palestinian Authority and any elections will not tolerate, um, any, uh, election of of individuals or parties that are not committed, uh, to a peaceful process. That is an absolute red line. It is part of the agreement. It's what we've been talking to other allies about for a very, very, uh, long time. On healthcare cases, yes, as I reported, we have had healthcare cases coming, uh, to the United Kingdom, uh, and students, and of course, we're extremely careful in the checks that we carry out on everybody that comes, uh, to this country. But, uh, I return, Mr. Speaker, to the fact that this is a historic, um, deal. It is important for the region. It is important for the world. It is to be celebrated across, uh, this house because of the relief it brings, uh, to the hostages and their families in particular, and to the many thousands of people in Gaza. Uh, and I was, as I say, surprised and saddened that she overlooked what to me is a really important part of the resolution of this conflict.
Chair of the International Dell Committee, Sir Ch. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And can I thank the prime minister, his ministers, and all the officials that I know have been working behind the scenes incredibly hard for the last two years to get to this historic point. He is right. It is a chance.