The Conservative Middle East Council have produced a new pamphlet, Middle East Peace: the principles behind the process, by Sir Alan Duncan.
The pamphlet focuses on the inaction by the international community against Israel’s illegal settlement colonies. As Sir Alan points out,
“It is not just the physical constructions themselves that matter. Building them has a much wider
detrimental impact on Palestinians. Their construction is often accompanied by the displacement of Palestinians from their historic farmland, the demolition of their homes, the bulldozing of their ancient olive groves, and the destruction of their water wells.
Rightful Palestinian citizens are reduced to having nothing: while illegal Israeli colonisers get
everything. Water, electricity, access, protection: illegal settlers get the lot, the Palestinians next to nothing.
Settlement activity is not carried out by some minority group outside the orbit of the Israeli state.
Settlement activity is systematically initiated, implemented and supported by the Israeli
Government, who authorise, implement and protect the relentless illegal expansion of the borders of Israel. This is reprehensible.
In addition to being illegal, settlement activity is very often violent, nasty, and brutal. Not all, but
many settlers are heavily armed and aggressive.
It is no exaggeration to say that many settlers are state-supported militia, defying international law, driving out the rightful inhabitants from their land, and creating an illegal economy at the expense of those who have been cruelly displaced.”