EXCLUSIVE – Hilary Benn: ‘Palestinian leaders must be more vocal in condemning violence’
Justin Cohen is the News Editor at the Jewish News
Hilary Benn has called for “vocal condemnation of violence” from West Bank leaders alongside a freeze on settlement construction – but warned “different rules of engagement” applied by the IDF to settlers and Palestinians was fueling resentment, writes Justin Cohen.
The shadow foreign secretary said he witnessed two possible futures for Israel and the Palestinians after a three-day visit to Israel and the West Bank that included talks with leading politicians, journalists and officials.
Writing exclusively for the Jewish News this week, he said he returned from only his second international trip in the role “full of thoughts and reflections but I am sad to say that politically my overriding sense was of gloom at the lack of progress” since the Oslo Accords. While every leader he met told him of their commitment to the two-state solution, he warned this could “slip away” unless leaders on both sides act speedily including with a settlement freeze and “vocal condemnation of violence”.
He wrote: “The morning I spent in Hebron illustrated what can happen in the conflict continues to fester. The main road, where once there was a thriving market, has been closed off. There were checkpoints, no-go areas and a pervasive tension, created in part by a cycle of killing. Settlers live above Palestinian shopkeepers with metal netting separating them to catch the rubbish that some a settlers throw down on their neighbours. Young Israeli soldiers are stuck in the middle of it all operating different rules of engagement for Palestinians and for settlers, further fuelling resentment.”
The other possible future, he continued, was represented in the area by the old railway station in Jerusalem that features a technology incubator, concert venue and youth empowerment programme. “It is all about people coming together to build something better and provide jobs and opportunities. It can be done,” he said.
But he insisted the experience of Northern Ireland – where many claimed the conflict would “still be going on in another 400 years” – showed courageous leadership could overcome the gloom. Benn, who called for his party to take on those who delegitimise Israel during his second address to Labour friends of Israel since being reappointed to the role in September – added: “I hope that the new year will bring a new commitment to peace, remembering that small steps can lead to big progress.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
