Israel/Palestine: Equal Rights for lasting Peace
We acknowledge Britain’s historic responsibilities for inequality and discrimination in Jerusalem and across the Holy Land. They stem from the last century, through the Balfour Declaration and the British Mandate for Palestine, with consequences which are still felt today. Past British responsibility for present injustice demands British commitment to work urgently for a better future, respecting equal rights.
With British assistance, the Jewish people exercised their right to self-determination in the Holy Land more than 70 years ago. To this day, the Palestinian people are denied this right. This injustice must end.
The future of Jerusalem is crucial to peace between Israelis and Palestinians, and between Israel and the Arab and Muslim worlds. The recent normalisation of relations between Israel and some Arab Gulf states is no substitute for a lasting peace founded on broad popular consent from Israelis and Palestinians. Sharing Jerusalem is essential to gain that consent.
Palestinians and Israelis will share the Holy Land forever, and must shape its future together. Only equality will bring safety and well-being, and essential dialogue. The two peoples, alone, have not attained peaceful coexistence. So, for the good of both, and if we truly mean what we say, we in Britain must help reverse current negative developments which only entrench separation and inequality. Civil society, including faith leaders, in the U.K., the rest of Europe and the USA, has a vital role in making that change happen.
We call upon the British Government now to take the following five measures:
– Reaffirm publicly East Jerusalem’s status under international law as occupied Palestinian territory and oppose current systematic efforts to undermine this status;
– Press for true freedom of access for all believers – Jewish, Muslim and Christian – to their respective holy sites in Jerusalem: especially Jews to the Western Wall, Christians to the Holy Sepulchre, Muslims to al Aqsa Mosque, from wherever they live;
– Work effectively to uphold the rule of law reflected in UN Security Council Resolutions, particularly Resolution 2334, which condemns illegal Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory;
– Insist that Israel end forthwith its discriminatory practices in Jerusalem, enabling all Jerusalemites to enjoy the same rights and services, regardless of creed or nationality; and
– Recognise the State of Palestine alongside the State of Israel, with Jerusalem as the shared capital of both states.
We seek a future of equal rights and peaceful coexistence between the peoples of Israel and Palestine in two states along the pre-1967 Green Line. Crucially, the wellbeing and security of both peoples in those states will grow with equality. We seek the Peace of Jerusalem.
27 October 2020
Signed
Tahir Ali MP
Rt Hon Lord Anderson of Ipswich
Claudia Beamish, Member of the Scottish Parliament
Clive Betts MP
Rt Hon Baroness Tessa Blackstone
Crispin Blunt MP
Rt Hon Ben Bradshaw MP
Alan Brown MP
Richard Burden
Joanna Cherry QC MP
Rt Reverend Christopher Chessun, Lord Bishop of Southwark, Church of England Lead Bishop for International Affairs
Rt Hon Lord Cope of Berkeley
Neil Coyle MP
Wayne David MP, Shadow Minister for the Middle East
Most Reverend John Davies, Archbishop of Wales
Martyn Day MP
Allan Dorans MP
Julie Elliott MP
Rt Reverend Dr Martin Fair, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
John Finnie, Member of the Scottish Parliament
Rt Hon Dominic Grieve QC
Rt Hon Lord Bruce Grocott
Rt Hon Lord Peter Hain
Lord Hannay of Chiswick
Neale Hanvey MP
Wera Hobhouse MP
Baroness Sheila Hollins
Lord Raymond Hylton
Lord Michael Jay
Rt Hon David Jones MP
Lord Frank Judd
Baroness Helena Kennedy QC
Rt Reverend Declan Lang, Catholic Bishop of Clifton, Chair of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference Department of International Affairs
Carolyn Lawrence, Vice-President of the Methodist Conference, Methodist Church in Britain
Rt Hon Tony Lloyd MP
Most Hon the Marquess of Lothian
Caroline Lucas MP
Kenny MacAskill MP
Seema Malhotra MP
Imam Ajmal Masroor
Very Reverend Dr Andrew McLellan, former Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
Pauline McNeill, Member of the Scottish Parliament
Carol Monaghan MP
James Graham, Duke of Montrose
Layla Moran MP
John Nicolson MP
Lord Jonny Oates
Rt Reverend Dr Joanna Penberthy, Bishop of St Davids
Rt Reverend John Pritchard, former Bishop of Oxford
Yasmin Qureshi MP
Andrew Selous MP
Tommy Sheppard MP
Andy Slaughter MP
Rt Hon Sir Nicholas Soames
Rev Richard Teal, President of the Methodist Conference, Methodist Church in Britain
Rt Hon Lord Wallace of Saltaire
Rt Hon Lord Norman Warner
Rt Hon Baroness Sayeeda Warsif
Dr Philippa Whitford MP
Munira Wilson MP
Lord Wood of Anfield