Pooja Mahay and Rachel Gonzales
World Affairs
Mrs. Redlinger
February 24th 2015
Israel and Palestine Conflict - United Kingdom
The conflict in Israel and Palestine has been an ongoing one for decades. This has become a
global concern and has resulted in the involvements of many outside countries. Fighting,
shooting, and other violent acts that ultimately have resulted in the death of hundreds of citizens
of both Israel and Palestine.The United Kingdom. in cooperation with other major world
powers, supports efforts that maintain peace and decrease the amount of human rights violations
that occur due to the conflict in Israel and Palestine.
On December 30th 2014 Lyall Grant, Ambassador of the UK Mission to the UN, delivered a
speech to the Security Council during their meeting on the Middle East. In his speech Grant
expressed the United Kingdom’s stance on the Issue (1). “ We will continue to spare no effort to
turn our ambition - the creation of a sovereign, contiguous and viable Palestinian State living in
peace and security side by side with Israel – into reality,” he continued to say, “Our views on
settlements, including in East Jerusalem, are clear: they are illegal under international law, an
obstacle to peace and seriously damage prospects for a two-state solution. All settlement activity,
including in East Jerusalem, should cease immediately” (1). By saying it can be concluded that
the United Kingdom will continue to support the creation of two states - a Palestinian state and
and an Israeli state - and that the United Kingdom would continue to attempt to establish and
maintain peace in the Middle East.
Alan Duncan, the Minister of State for the United Kingdom's International Department,
delivered a speech in October of 2014 as well regarding this topic (2). One of the main concerns
that were first discussed was about Israeli construction on Palestinian land: “Since 1967, a clear
line has been drawn in international law which defines which territory is occupied and which is
not. Yet relentlessly, every week, every month, and every year for decades, Israelis have built
illegal constructions on Palestinian land.” This is a concern because it violates Article 49 of the
Fourth Geneva Convention which “ which prohibits the occupying power from transferring parts
of its own population into the territories it occupies. This is a position held by the international
community and confirmed by the International Court of Justice. Indeed, the Supreme Court of
Israel itself has repeatedly found that the West Bank is held in belligerent occupation. But since
1967 Israel has continuously and systematically built outside its legitimate borders and has
claimed its neighbours’ land as its own” (2). Continued expansion by Israel shows only increases
conflicts and concerns even more and is labeled as a theft by the state of Israel. This theft also
results in human rights violations because of the waterwell damage and Palestinian citizens
displacement that it causes. Duncan firmly states his opinion that the United Kingdom, and the
rest of the UN, need to begin to help establish solutions to these problems and stop the Israeli
expansion on palestinian land (2).
SOURCES:
"Alan Delivers Speech on Israeli Settlements." - News. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Mar. 2015.
"'A Just and Lasting Resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Is Long Overdue'" - Speeches.
N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Mar. 2015.
"Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) - Country of Concern." - GOV.UK. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 02 Mar. 2015.