Why Labour's boldness on Israeli settlements could be turning point for Middle East – Alistair Carmichael
Ed Miliband has delivered a substantive shift in how the UK holds Israel to account for the expansion of illegal settlements in occupied Palestine
When looking for a statesman to show bold leadership on the international stage, I am not sure that the first name on anyone’s lips would have been “Ed Miliband”. That is not by way of derision for our new Foreign Secretary, but someone previously known for a near-exclusive interest in domestic affairs was hardly expected to drive a major reshaping of our policy on Israel and Palestine within weeks of being appointed.
And yet, when he came to the House of Commons to announce new sanctions on Israeli settlers and a ban on illegal settlement goods, Miliband brought an energy, direction and authority that took all sides by surprise. It is still early days, but the Foreign Secretary’s unexpected boldness on illegal Israeli settlements could yet prove to be a turning point for the Middle East conflict.
Credit where it is due – this was a significant step by Miliband and the UK government. It is a substantive shift in how we hold Israel to account for the expansion of illegal settlements in occupied Palestine, and the growing abuses seen around such settlements.
An international coalition
The trade in goods from illegal Israeli settlements was always a bizarre loophole and one that ought to have been closed long ago. We were resolute in blocking imports from Crimea when the peninsula was illegally seized by Russia in 2014 – so we should adhere even-handedly to the basic principle that expansionist states do not profit from occupied territory.
Besides the substance of the policy shift itself, Tuesday’s announcement could also, perhaps, mark a shift in international momentum to push Israel to moderate its behaviour. Lost amongst the furore and focus on Miliband’s role in driving this plan and the reaction within the UK is the fact that this is another example of our international coordination – this time with France and Canada.
Countries across the world are increasingly aligning both to support the rights of the Palestinian people and to challenge and constrain Israeli expansionism and attempted ethnic cleansing.
The expansion of settlements and of settler violence threaten to undermine the basic viability of the state of Palestine. There can be no two-state solution without a coherent, stable Palestine, and so it is vital that concerted pressure is brought to bear to prevent further ethnic cleansing and restore the path to a just and lasting peace.
Historic breakthroughs
At times, looking at the growing radicalism within Israel and the territorial pressure faced by Palestinians, it can feel as though a two-state solution is further away than ever before. Big changes, however, often come just when you least expect them and when hope seems exhausted.
The fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of Apartheid in South Africa seemed like impossibilities almost up to the point when they became inevitable and irreversible. We will only know the ‘inevitable’ outcome when it has come to pass – but we can keep doing what we can to bring it about.
I am not sure, even now, that I would bet on a just and lasting resolution to the Israel-Palestine conflict arriving any time soon – yet as our Foreign Secretary has proven this week, sometimes bold progress comes when you least expect it.
Alistair Carmichael is the Scottish Liberal Democrat MP for Orkney and Shetland
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