Hansard

I thank the members of the Scottish Parliament who signed my motion, giving it cross-party support and enabling the debate to take place. I also thank the many groups that have contacted me and other members about the debate. Some of their representatives are in the public gallery tonight, and I welcome them to the Scottish Parliament.

There is often a great deal of misunderstanding and misrepresentation around the issue of Palestine, whether it be from individuals, the media or various Governments, but certain historical facts cannot be altered or dismissed. They must, in turn, be recognised.

It is a fact that, in November 1947, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 181, which recommended the creation of a two-state solution with a special international regime for the city of Jerusalem. At that time, those proposals were not seen as acceptable by the Palestinians and other Arab countries in the region because they went against the principles of the right to self-determination and imposed conditions that were generally seen as unfair and unworkable.

The breakdown of a workable plan led to the 1948 Palestinian war in which Israeli forces took control of a much larger area of land than was proposed in the UN resolution, an estimated 700,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled, and hundreds of Palestinian towns and villages were depopulated and destroyed.

In 1967, Israel conquered the West Bank, the Gaza strip and the Golan Heights, while annexing east Jerusalem. The UN and Governments across the world have repeatedly condemned that annexation and the subsequent building on the occupied territories, and it is considered to be illegal under international law.

I therefore hope that, in this debate, regardless of our opinions on what is happening today, we can all agree that that short history of Palestine needs to be recognised. Importantly, we must also recognise the more recent attempts at reaching a solution to the conflict, centred on the 1967 borders. It is indisputable that settlements built on occupied territories are considered to be illegal under international law, and we should not simply forget that fact.

Many people are quick to criticise nations that violate UN resolutions or do not abide by international law. I believe that, if we fail to acknowledge that where Israel is concerned, we fail to present the situation objectively and we fail to be taken seriously by the rest of the world.

Let us be clear: regardless of the history, I believe that the way forward and the only way to achieve a lasting peace is to recognise a Palestinian state alongside an Israeli one. That was not possible in 1947 but, for me and many others, it is the only viable option open to us now. Let us be clear also that the time is now. The time is not tomorrow or some point in the future; it is now.

Last October, the United Kingdom Parliament voted by 274 votes to 12 in favour of recognising Palestine. I congratulate MPs on that. Unfortunately, the Prime Minister, David Cameron, stated that that will not change the UK Government’s views on recognition. We are now in the last stages of the Westminster election campaign, and I hope that whoever wins the election will not only recognise Palestine but actively support a two-state solution.

We cannot continue to bury our heads in the sand. Already 134 out of 193 UN member states have taken steps to recognise the state of Palestine, and it is time that the UK did the same. I believe that it is morally incumbent on the UK to take that step, given its involvement and its resulting culpability for the current situation.

From the time when Britain administered Palestine after the first world war until it abandoned it in 1948, our involvement in Palestine has been quite shameful, from the promises of an independent Palestinian state to refusing to support UN efforts for a two-state solution, leading to the 1948 war and the subsequent loss of Palestinian land. Our actions have loomed large over the history of Palestine; it is time for our actions to loom large over the future of Palestine.

I believe that, given our previous involvement in Palestine, our recognition of Palestine will carry extra weight and will be a huge stimulus to peace efforts. Therefore, by definition, it will help those peace efforts. The time to recognise Palestine is now. Across the world, people recognise that that is the way forward, and it is time that we joined them.

When the motion was scheduled for debate, I received support from many different quarters, alongside a petition from citizens of Israel, which stated:

“We the undersigned, Citizens of Israel who wish it to be a safe and thriving country, are worried by the continued political stalemate and by the occupation and settlements activities which lead to further confrontations with the Palestinians and torpedo the chances for a compromise.

It is clear that the prospects for Israel’s security and existence depend on the existence of a Palestinian state side by side with Israel. Israel should recognize the state of Palestine and Palestine should recognize the state of Israel, based on the June 4 1967 borders.”

Those are not my words but the words of the people who signed that petition. It was signed by Israelis from all walks of life, including students, lawyers, teachers, members of the Israeli Parliament, army colonels and former ambassadors.

The will is there in Israel, and we owe it as much to the Israelis as we do to the Palestinians to support them. The establishment of a two-state solution is essential if we are to do that; it is essential if we are to free Palestinians from occupation and from the injustices that have been wrought upon them. It is essential if we are to provide security for both Palestinians and Israelis.

There is of course a lot of work to be done by both sides but, by taking this step, we can demonstrate to those who are entrenched in their views, whatever side they are on, that there is an alternative—one that is very much worth pursuing.

We do not have power over foreign affairs in the Scottish Parliament, but I believe that today’s debate is important and that we can make a difference. On 7 May, Scotland will choose 59 MPs to represent our views, and we should send a strong message that a two-state solution is what the majority of MSPs want.

Yesterday, the Scottish National Party launched its UK election manifesto. In it was a promise to

“call on the next UK government to pursue a two state solution for Israel and Palestine and to support the formal recognition of a Palestinian state.”

I welcome that commitment, and the commitment of other parties to that solution, but we need to understand that it is imperative that we act now—indeed, we are beholden to do so. We must learn from the mistakes of the past and not repeat them.