Posted on 2014-11-03 | 11:48

At an event in his constituency Roger spoke about the recent backbench debate which took place on the subject of Palestine, and set out his views on the future for Israel and the Palestinians.

This is what Roger said:

“I have supported, and still support, the right of Palestine to be recognised as a State and I would have been more than happy to have voted for the original Motion calling for this. Unfortunately the mover of the Motion decided to accept an Amendment tabled by Jack Straw, Menzies Campbell and Sir Alan Duncan which called for a ‘negotiated two-state solution’ and I am on record as saying that, as every day passes, this is becoming more and more unachievable.

Gaza is almost 100 percent Palestinian and 70 percent of the population of Jordan, on the East Bank of the River Jordan, is also Palestinian. On the West Bank of the Jordan is another Palestinian area containing Jerusalem but the West Bank has been occupied by Israel since 1967 and, more importantly, they have pursued a policy of colonisation of the West Bank which has resulted in huge numbers of Israeli settlements being built. Even as the recent conflict in Gaza was ending the Israeli Government grabbed another 1000 hectares of land, despite international condemnation, and members of the current Israeli Cabinet delighted in announcing that they would be building another settlement on this Palestinian land.

The West Bank is, therefore, becoming more and more populated by Israeli settlements and the Palestinian population in the West Bank are being pushed off internationally recognised Palestinian land. Furthermore, as I have pointed out on numerous occasions, Gaza is separated from the West Bank by Israel in a similar way that East and West Pakistan was separated by the State of India prior to East Pakistan becoming Bangladesh.

The idea, therefore, that a ‘two-state solution’ can come about is in stark contradiction to what is happening, day by day, on the ground in Palestine and I disagree with the views of Jack Straw, Menzies Campbell and Sir Alan Duncan who believe that this can still happen. If a negotiated settlement does, eventually, take place between Israel and the Palestinians then, in my opinion, it can only be done on the basis that there is a three-state solution and not a two-state solution.

Apart from Israel and Gaza there will be a third state on the land in the West Bank which would be populated by both Palestinians and Israeli settlers who are increasing by the day and there would have to be some form of joint (Coalition) Government running that state with the City of Jerusalem having an international status, similar to the Vatican and being open to worshipers from all religions.

The idea that the Israeli settlers who are colonising the West Bank would just leave their settlements and transfer back into Israel is not, in my opinion, going to happen and the only way that Palestinians who were exiled many years ago could have their ‘right of return’ to Palestinian land is if they return to the West Bank or Gaza because they will not be allowed to return to the State of Israel.

I believe that a ‘three-state solution’ is the only viable solution that could be achieved because, otherwise, I can foresee Israel, particularly under its current right-wing Government, continuing and accelerating its colonisation of the West Bank until, eventually, a Jewish majority occurs whereupon Israel will then seek to incorporate the West Bank into the landmass of Israel in order to achieve a ‘greater Israel’ which is exactly what the fanatical Jewish theologists have always wanted.”