Philip Hammond on the UK’s Position on Israel and Palestine

AMANPOUR:

First and foremost, you are foreign minister. You’ve had to deal with prime minister Netanyahu, you’ve dealt with the other side. What is your immediate take on the plan that was unveiled and you’ve just heard the primers to give his take?

HAMMOND:
Yeah. Well, first of all, um, everybody wants to see some movement on this most intractable problem, but most people are committed to a movement which, uh, which, um, uh, respects the principle of a two state solution, uh, and reconciles Israel’s need for security with the Palestinians need for a viable state. So the question is, is this a credible starting point? I don’t, I don’t think, and we’ve just heard from the Palestinian prime minister, I don’t think this is going to be a plan that will be accepted by the Palestinians. The really interesting question is whether this could be the opening salvo for a proper discussion and anything that gets Palestinians, Israelis, Americans talking seriously about how to create a viable two state solution would be a good thing. Um, but this will be a very bitter pill, the Palestinians to swallow as an opening a position for a discussion.

AMANPOUR:
So I guess you, like many others would urge the Palestinians to engage and not just, you know, stand aside. Um, just on that kind of principle as we’ve heard. However, can you just describe what’s happened? I mean he was saying this is a violation of decades of international law and accepted UN principles from your perspective and from the U K his perspective, just what has just happened?

HAMMOND:
Well the UK, his position has always been, and I’m not aware that the current government has changed the UK position, um, is that um, we recognize that settlements in the West bank are illegal under international law. Then he attempted annexation of land that has been captured in battle is illegal under international law. But kind of that’s all very interesting. But the facts are the facts and the Americans would say, look, we have to move forward and to move forward you have to start from where you are, not where some textbook tells you you should be.

HAMMOND:
So again, there’s a balancing act to do here. The Palestinians to get a settlement are going to have to make some concessions from their theoretical and principled position. But I think the Israelis are also going to have to be pragmatic and, and I have to say, um, this does look like a plan that’s been drawn up in, uh, Washington and Jerusalem rather than a plan which respects and understands the concerns that the Palestinians will have.