Chair: Richard Burden MP 108 MPs Join Attack on Bush Middle East Policy as UK Parliament Prepares to Debate Poverty in Occupied Territories Over 100 MPs from different parties have now signed a Parliamentary Early Day Motion criticising President Bush's endorsement of Ariel Sharon's plan, which attempts to tie Israeli disengagement from Gaza to consolidation of illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Later this week, MPs will debate the impact of the Israeli occupation on poverty amongst Palestinians. The growing support for the EDM is particularly significant following yesterday's publication of a letter from senior retired diplomats, which called on Tony Blair to either exert greater influence over US policies on the Middle East or to distance Britain from them. Tabled by Labour MP Richard Burden, Chair of the Britain-Palestine All Party Parliamentary Group, the Early Day Motion says President Bush's comments have contradicted international law and UN resolutions on Israeli settlements and on the rights of Palestinian refugees. It emphasises that the Road Map peace process is not the gift of the USA but the collective responsibility of the Quartet of the UN, EU, Russia and USA. The MPs call on the Quartet to "take immediate steps to secure the implementation of UN resolutions to achieve Israeli withdrawal from all territories it illegally occupies, justice for the refugees, and security for Israel alongside a viable and independent Palestinian state." Richard Burden said today: "Whilst Israel should obviously be encouraged to disengage from Gaza, arranged through proper negotiation with the Palestinian Authority, we cannot ignore the other things the Sharon government has been saying and doing over the last week.
"Assassinations have continued and Ariel Sharon is again making veiled threats to kill or exile Yasser Arafat. He has not only announced his intention to effectively annex illegal West Bank settlements to Israel but has also promised to give them extra funding. Construction of the Wall is accelerating, more civilians have been killed in incursions by Israeli troops, the demolition of Palestinian homes in the Occupied Territories has continued and acres of farmland have been razed. When this is the daily reality for Palestinians on the ground, you can understand their anger at President Bush's endorsement of Ariel Sharon and why so many people are sceptical of descriptions of Sharon's disengagement offer as a step in the right direction.
"All this underlines encouraging Israeli disengagement from Gaza must not be allowed to avoid or soften international pressure on Israel to fulfil all its responsibilities on Israel to fulfil all its responsibilities international law." The impact of the Occupation on poverty amongst Palestinians and the UK's response will be the focus of a debate in the House of Commons on Thursday of this week. MPs will debate the recent report by the International Development Select Committee into Development Assistance and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and the Government's response. The debate will take place between 2.30 and 5.30 pm in Westminster Hall on Thursday 29th April. Prior to the debate, MPs will also receive up-to-date briefings about the situation in the Occupied Territories. Peter Hansen, Commissioner General of UNRWA, will address a meeting of MPs on Wednesday lunchtime. On Thursday, Diana Buttu, a legal advisor to the Negotiations Support Unit of the PLO, will also be in the House of Commons to brief MPs. Ends
Text of EDM 991: IMPACT OF PRESIDENT BUSH'S STATEMENT ON ISRAELI POLICY IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES 19.04.04 Burden/Richard That this House expresses strong concerns about the comments of President George W. Bush on 14th April, endorsing Ariel Sharon's proposed Disengagement Plan; notes that the partisan nature of President Bush's comments have undermined the Road Map and believes that his uncritical approach has emboldened Israel to continue with its policy of assassinations which is not only illegal but sets back the cause of peace; further notes that the 14th April exchange of letters between President Bush and Ariel Sharon prejudices the Road Map's stipulation that final status issues including Jerusalem, refugees, borders, settlements and water should be matters for joint agreement between the parties rather than imposition by Israel; further notes that the US President's comments contradict international law and existing UN resolutions on the illegality of Israeli settlements and the rights of Palestinian refugees; welcomes, however, the Israeli Government's decision to remove its settlements from the Gaza Strip and calls on Israel also to withdraw its military presence, arranging these withdrawals through proper negotiation with the Palestinian Authority; and further calls on the quartet of the UN, EU, Russia and USA to reassert its collective responsibility for the Road Map and to take immediate steps to secure the implementation of UN resolutions to achieve Israeli withdrawal from all territories it illegally occupies, justice for the refugees and security for Israel alongside a viable and independent Palestinian state.
For more information please contact: 020 7219 2318 (Commons) 07790 003 867 (out of hours) or visit www.richardburden.com for more background on the BPAPG's activities. Read More...
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