August 11, 2024 18:28:29

News over the last couple of days has been heavily dominated by what's happening in Jerusalem and what's happening now in Gaza. Some years ago I went to Sheikh Jarrah, Sheikh Jarrah in Jerusalem, a place of Palestinian homes. It's been a place of Palestinian homes for almost all of my lifetime. Settlers are trying to drive them out of their homes, emblematic of the way in which settlers all across the West Bank have taken over Palestinian land, divided up farms, created settler roads and created the anger, the quite correct anger of Palestinian people against the occupation. Surely the way forward is to end the occupation, end the siege of Gaza and ensure that there is peace in the future. I say that because I believe very strongly in it and if anyone doubts, doubts the horrors of what it's like to live under occupation, I urge them to look at a film called The Present. That film demonstrates just how difficult life can be for people trying to undertake an ordinary thing like going out to buy a present. I've taken part in many conferences and calls and discussions with people from Israel and from Palestine and from different organizations all over the world. Peace will not be achieved by bombardment or by land grabbing. Peace will only be achieved by recognition of the rights of Palestinian people and an end to the occupation. I finish with this Mr. Speaker.