Howard praises Israel
US President George W Bush should station a “senior American figure” in the Middle East to spur on moves towards peace in the region, Michael Howard said today.
The Conservative leader said the international community could do more to help the peace process, and should also provide “security support” in Gaza and the West Bank to help maintain public order.
And he backed the Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, saying that although his actions must be consistent with the road map for the Middle East, they had “the potential to lead to peace”.
Speaking to the Conservative Friends of Israel in London, Mr Howard said a Bush appointee could perform a role that undertaken by US senator George Mitchell in the Northern Ireland peace process.
The appointee would need the authority to create the momentum needed to bring the two sides together – and keep them together, he said.
And calling for an international security force in Gaza and the West Bank, he said: “This will help the Palestinian Authority maintain public order and carry out effective counter-terrorism as the Israelis withdraw.”
Mr Howard used his speech to praise Israel, noting that its global economic power and fully functioning democracy were, in the face of hostility from its neighbours, “astonishing and incredible”.
He did acknowledge the suffering of the Palestinian community: “Nor must we forget the thousands of Palestinians who have been killed since the start of the Intifada. We must remember that community’s terrible pain and suffering too,” he said.
But he placed on them most of the burden of reviving the Middle East peace process, saying: “The hurdles to peace have seemed insurmountable for so long. Israel has not been guaranteed the security that is essential for peace.
“The Palestinians have suffered as a result of weak leadership and the rise of terrorist organisations like Hamas and Islamic Jihad. At times it has seemed that there is no way out from the death and destruction terrorism has wrought.”
The new Palestinian leader was expected to commit himself to democracy and human rights, and “spurn the fanatics and terrorists whose actions are designed to block the path to peace”.
However, Mr Howard said there was now “a great opportunity” for peace, given the broad consensus on a two-state solution, Israel’s proposed withdrawal from Gaza, and recent gestures such as the release of Sheikh Hasan Yousof, head of the Hamas political bureau.
He gave his broad support to the Israeli leader, saying that although he had not agreed with all of Mr Sharon’s actions, he had held his nerve despite criticism from his own party.
“The course he is following has the potential to lead to peace. But his actions must be part of an on-going process, consistent with the Road Map, designed to create confidence and the right backdrop for resumed peace talks,” Mr Howard said.
