Palestine News Network (PNN) / Gary Spedding's blog : "It’s Time for UK Action on Israeli Settlements" by Gary Spedding

It’s Time for UK Action on Israeli Settlements

 

Published on Sunday, 06 January 2013 14:53

by Gary Spedding

William Hague, the UK's Foreign Secretary, on the 3rd of December 2012 finally plucked up the courage to summon Israel's ambassador, Daniel Taub to the Foreign Office where Hague expressed deep concern over Israel's continued illegal settlement policies. This latest action, radical by comparison to previous responses from our FCO, certainly shows a shift in approach and deep frustration toward Israel's actions.

Admonishing Israel on settlements, the FCO's statements have flowed with a certain regularity and consistency that has never previously been known in recent years. In total the number of publications from the Foreign Office that either fully condemn or state deep concern over Illegal settlement activities during 2012 amount to fourteen separate official releases.

Unfortunately, the words alone aren't quite enough and could be said to display just how utterly innate the current method of very tedious, verbal condemnation towards Israel actually is when the result itself never amounts to a robust action toward holding Israel accountable for breaking International law. This inaction is presumably due to the UK having become far too at ease with Israel being a close friend to Britain, coupled with the various lobbying groups in the UK and abroad that pressure our government until it becomes so deflated that the most we can muster to elicit appropriate disapproval is a mundane public statement from time to time.

Given the willingness of our government to agree the broadening and deepening of UK – Israel ties, despite our obvious discomfort at many Israeli government policies towards the Palestinians, it is apposite to ask why we continue with condemnations at all except to save face with the wider international community.

Looking at the wider complexity of Israel – Palestine it is fair to say that conflicts of this kind, in which the majority of realities on the ground for every day civilians are ignored, cause frivolous debate in the public sphere, usually following a circular discourse that doesn't focus on justice, accountability or human rights but rather a baseless rhetoric that achieves very little for genuine conflict resolution.

Our government does not positively assist the situation either in terms of debate here at home or the reality in Israel – Palestine. The continued labelling by the government, of a proposed UK wide disinvestment from the Israeli occupation by means of a settlement boycott as 'anti-Israel' is deeply insulting and uses an emotive approach that is frankly ugly. In my view, the government needs to grasp the opportunity of pushing genuine peace by looking at the evident reality. I mean our own government as recently as 26th of December 2012 unambiguously reaffirmed Britain's position on settlements in occupied Palestinian territory, that construction beyond the Green Line is illegal according to international law.

I would say that our government is one that clearly possesses influence and a certain level of all-important power as a major stakeholder in the Middle East – yet we simply don't show that we value international law enough to go beyond toothless condemnations and publications outlining our view that Israel's 'provocative actions' run contrary to the Fourth Geneva Convention. Clearly we place far too much value on the occupier over occupied when we base our view of Israel's activities on the damage they are doing to their own international reputation as opposed to basic rights of Palestinians.

Need I add that due to our own government's lack of action, recourse to expedient criminal acts under International Humanitarian Law (IHL) – which in part governs the conduct of an occupying power – remains painfully difficult to enforce.

A problem unmasked

In order for the trend in apathy of the British government to be reversed a great shift in the norms of how we permit our government to look at Israel – Palestine will have to occur.

At present, the challenges brought by some justice-seeking MPs has, whilst being appreciated done nothing to shift the British governments mind. Despite numerous letters to the foreign office from MP's the response is always the same, whilst Britain 'understands the concerns of people who do not wish to purchase goods from Israeli settlements in Occupied Palestinian Territory' the furthest the FCO is willing to go on is to 'express disagreement to Israel' whenever 'they feel it necessary' whilst still enjoying a 'close and productive relationship with Israel'. A letter of particular note is one I received that stated that the British government "believes that imposing sanctions on Israel or supporting 'anti-Israel' boycotts" would lessen the influence Britain when having a 'frank discussion between friends'. Somehow those sentiments make the claim that Britain 'remains strongly committed to fostering conditions in which the next generation of Palestinians and Israelis can live in peace' rather insincere.

Given that the International Criminal Court can only pursue suspects with considerable state co-operation, short of being empowered by UNSC resolutions, a massive strain will be placed upon the Palestinians and could be the direct result of our reluctance, as a key stakeholder, to act. Serious obstruction from host governments and opposition from regional or global hegemons usually mean that important investigations into the humanitarian impact of Israel's settlement exploits cannot, in practice, take place.

Fortunately there are some prospects for change on the horizon. In the future it is conceivable that progressive nations will lead at the E.U where Ireland recently took up presidency on the 1st of January 2013. Unlike Britain, the Republic of Ireland has promised robust action on Israeli settlements through an EU wide ban on West Bank settlement produce.

But until such a watershed moment, or something similar, comes to pass one can expect to see wrenching injustice continue to compound Israel's matrix of control – a prospect that no-one should be comfortable with, least of all those in the halls of power who shamefully acquiesce to the status quo.

A Challenge to Hague

One does not have to look far to find the logical steps that should follow up after continued condemnation of illegal activities. Even as people are having their human rights abused, homes and lands confiscated by the Israeli land authority, William Hague and Alistair Burt have continued to effectively stymie efforts to legitimately challenge the settlement enterprise of Israel's right wing government. Attempts by individual companies and co-operatives to enforce sanctions against Israel at a civil society level have been some-what successful but are often blocked by rabid backlash from anti-Palestinian groups that seek to delegitimize any action that advocates toward justice and accountability. Rather than condemn the illegal actions of Israel, groups like the British Israel Coalition ignore or make excuses in an attempt to obfuscate from the reality.

The entire International community, including Britain regard Israeli settlement as illegal yet their criticism displays of abject hypocrisy unmatched in the history of foreign policy. The Israeli government stand firm, they have no intention of ending settlement construction let alone dismantling already completed blocs. All the pious talk in the world from western governments will not efface from history the fact that they have shied away from obligations to enforce international law. Such flagrant disregard for justice & international law when it suits us seems always acceptable and Israel goes on building.

It is both unconscionable and dangerous for Hague to neglect his duty to take action. Our government to date effectively gives the green light for Israel to continue as they are, destroying any hope of a two state solution which most Israelis, according to a recent poll remain in favour. My challenge to William Hague is for him to show real leadership in 2013, standing up to impunity – particularly when unpunished offences are abetted or perpetrated by our own complicity. I demand Hague stop eroding the authority of international law. Nothing can be gained by consequently crippling the capacity of International Law to deter criminal activities against defenceless civilians.

It's up to the international community, Britain taking the lead – first and foremost to force Israel into accepting and recognizing Palestinians as having equal civil and human rights as Israeli's to their own self-determination. When condemnation and dialogue fail then it is through sanctions that target the Israeli government, its policies and actions (not every day Israelis) by withholding trade that directly contributes to the occupation which can be used to pressure them into accepting a just and lasting peace.

Gary Spedding is a Freelance Writer, Blogger, Journalist covering the Israel/Palestine Conflict 

This article was originally published on Spedding's blog:

http://abureesh.wordpress.com/2013/01/05/its-time-for-uk-action-on-israeli-settlements/

http://english.pnn.ps/index.php/opinion/3529-its-time-for-uk-action-on-israeli-settlements