British parliamentarians condemn Israeli wall

[tinnypriv]

British parliamentarians condemn Israeli wall
Gulf News, 22 October - 6th November 2003

More than 100 British Members of Parliament have signed a Parliamentary Early Day Motion (EDM) condemning Israel's construction of the separation wall in the West Bank.

EDM 1689 calls on Israel "to cease immediately the building of its security fence" and notes that "whilst Israel needs security, the wall does not follow the internationally recognised border; insists that this does not become a de facto border for a future Palestinian state".

This EDM is a very clear message from British Parliamentarians that they consider the wall illegal and an obstacle to peace. It is very rare that EDMs attract over 100 signatories.

Only 169 of the 2033 EDMs and amendments put down this parliamentary session to date have got over 100 and this is the first one during this period on the Middle East over 100.

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http://www.gulf-news.com/Articles/news.asp?ArticleID=100909

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More info:

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TEXT OF EDM 1689: CONSTRUCTION OF SEPARATION WALL BY ISRAEL

That this House calls on Israel to cease immediately the building of its security fence deep within Palestinian territory, which when completed, will leave 45 to 55 per cent. of the West Bank on Israel's side of the wall; notes that it is made up of reinforced cement, barbed wire, and electrical fences, trenches, electronic motion sensors, guard towers and security roads and will cost $1 million per kilometre and that it violates articles 53 and 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, to which Britain is a high-contracting party, which forbids the destruction of property and confinement of persons by an occupier, further notes that the fence cuts deep into Palestinian land and, when completed, will incorporate approximately 91 per cent. of all West Bank settlements and 98 per cent. of its settlers and annex the richest agricultural land in the West Bank, including the aquifer system which provides 52 per cent. of the West Bank's water resources; further notes that, whilst Israel needs security, the wall does not follow the internationally recognised border; insists that this does not become a de facto border for a future Palestinian state; further notes that only a reinvigorated peace process with full international support will stop the violence on both sides, not an eight metre high wall; and calls on the British Government to bring all available pressure to bear on Israel to cease building this wall.

List of signatures

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WALL DEBATE IN HOUSE OF COMMONS:

"I visited the occupied territories in July with a small delegation of Members, and what I saw appalled me ... There is reinforced concrete, cement, barbed wire and electrified fences, trenches, electronic surveillance and monitoring equipment, guard towers and security roads. That is not a security wall but an effective prison wall that is encircling Palestinian communities, who are now captives in their own towns and villages. It is also a land-grab, taking anything between 10 and 40 per cent. of Palestinian territory into Israel, and further undermines attempts to create a two-state solution to the conflict" - Mark Hendrick, MP-Preston

"How long does my hon. Friend think that the right-wing Israeli Government can persist with a policy that makes a mockery of the concept of universal human rights?" - Oona King, MP-Bethnal Green and Bow

"The regime of military tyranny is bad enough, but worse still is the wall that the Israelis are building in large tracts of Palestinian land" - Gerald Kaufman, MP-Manchester/Gorton

Full transcript

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OFFICIAL POSITION OF UK GOVERNMENT:

"The building of the wall or the fence on the occupied territories is illegal ... We are not alone in holding that view. The United Nations General Assembly and leaders of all the European Union member states at the European Council clarified their opposition to the route of the fence" - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.

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Note, however, that the UK abstained on the main UN-SC resolution condemning the wall and ordering it to be ceased (vetoed by the United States). Draw the appropriate conclusions.

[bluesoul]

1. This part is revealing

"There is reinforced concrete, cement, barbed wire and electrified fences, trenches, electronic surveillance and monitoring equipment, guard towers and security roads. That is not a security wall but an effective prison wall that is encircling Palestinian communities, who are now captives in their own towns and villages. It is also a land-grab, taking anything between 10 and 40 per cent. of Palestinian territory into Israel,"

Self-defense? :shrug:

[denverbill]

2. When will we see a similar bill motion voted on in the US?

Never you say? Why not?

Because we have an entire Congress full of cowards. Cowards who are afraid to stand up to Israel even when Israel engages in the most brutally repressive, aggressive behavior.

Where are the progressives in Congress when in comes to Israel? How can British progressives get 100 votes, but in the US, they'd probably not get a single vote?