The London Meeting
314. The election of President Abbas and the re-engagement
of the US created a positive climate in which the British Government
judged that it was worth convening talks in London on 1 March,
attended by Mr Abbas, Kofi Annan, Condoleezza Rice and other key
players, although no representative of Israel was present. At
these talks, termed the 'London Meeting,' the Quartet, with the
active participation of the PA, reaffirmed its commitment to a
two-state solution, based on "a safe and secure Israel and
a sovereign, independent, viable, democratic and territorially
contiguous Palestine," and agreed a series of measures which
will assist the Palestinians to meet their obligations under phase
1 of the RoadMap.[394]
315. The conclusions of the London Meeting go into
some detail on the steps which need to be taken in respect of
Palestinian governance, security and economic development. Key
points include the holding of elections to the Palestine Legislative
Council in July, judicial reform, an overhaul of security structures,
anti-corruption measures, economic aid and private sector investment,
and a renewal of bilateral Palestinian-Israeli security links.
The stated purpose of the Meeting was "to rally the international
community in support of the Palestinian Authority's plans to build
the institutions of a viable Palestinian state." [395]
It did not, therefore, reach specific conclusions in relation
to Israel. It did, however, send a clear message to the Israelis
that they, too, have to live up to their commitments under the
RoadMap; and in particular it left no room for doubt that both
sides will need fully to meet their obligations under phase 1,
if further progress is to be made.
316. Not all developments have been positive. The
suicide bombing in Tel Aviv on 25 February, which has been condemned
by the PA, may have been carried out by a group based in Syria.[396]
Militant Palestinians retain the capacity to carry out further
such attacks, and the Authority's efforts to prevent them have
been unconvincing. For its part, Israel continues to construct
its illegal security barrier on Palestinian land, to expand its
settlements on the West Bank and to impose restrictions on the
movement of Palestinian people. In its statement following the
1 March meeting in London, the Quartet referred to the "fragility
of the current revived momentum" in the peace process. The
prospects for peace, while possibly brighter now than for some
years, remain far from certain.
317. The regional context for the Middle East process
has also been changing rapidly. In Lebanon, a groundswell of public
anger against Syria for its assumed involvement in the assassination
of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri has had an effect on the
political dynamic of the entire region. Egypt and Saudi Arabia—both
countries which have recently taken small but significant steps
towards greater democracy—have rounded on President Bashar
al-Assad for his refusal thus far to comply with UN Security Council
demands to withdraw Syria's substantial military forces from Lebanon.[397]
The UN Security Council resolution was tabled jointly by France
and the United States, itself a reflection of a new international
consensus on the region.
318. For the United Kingdom and its allies, there
are difficult choices to be made about the extent to which they
should involve themselves in these developments. Although we have
consistently called for greater involvement by the United States,
in particular, in efforts to give momentum to the Middle East
peace process, we recognise fully the danger that active engagement
by the West with a view to influencing the outcome of events in
the Middle East more widely could be counter-productive, unless
it is sought and welcomed by the people of the region and by their
representatives.
319. We conclude that the London Meeting on support
for the Palestinian Authority was a worthwhile and positive initiative,
with some potentially very useful outcomes. We recommend that
the Government ensure that the momentum generated by the Meeting
and by other events is maintained, so that inevitable setbacks
may be overcome. We further recommend that the Government continue
to work closely with the United States, with a view to ensuring
there is no loss of interest in or disengagement from the peace
process by the US administration. In particular, we recommend
that the Government bring pressure to bear on the international
community fully to deliver on its promises, on the Palestinian
Authority fully to implement its reforms, and on Israel fully
to meet its commitments under the Road Map.
390 
