Memorandum submitted by the Board of Deputies
of British Jews
SUMMARY OF
KEY SUBMISSION
POINTS
— The Board of Deputies of British
Jews speaks as the representative organisation of UK Jewry. As
an organisation, the Board is involved in interfaith activities
in the UK and supports efforts to facilitate peaceful cohabitation
between Palestinians and Israelis.
— The Hamas victory is viewed
as much a protest vote against Fatah as it is a vote for Hamas.
Most Palestinians wish to live in peace with their neighbours
and do not naturally subscribe to extremist views.
— Hamas's stubborn refusal to
renounce terrorism, recognise Israel and honour past agreements
has exacerbated the humanitarian problems faced by the Palestinian
people.
— Israel remains committed to
alleviating the humanitarian problems in the Palestinian territories.
Its actions, however, have been met with resistance from the Hamas-led
Palestinian Authority.
— The creation of a transparent
mechanism for channelling foreign aid to help the Palestinian
people will be greeted with co-operation on Israel's part.
— Improvement in the humanitarian
situation for the Palestinians will come about through a growing
economy and increased investment from abroad, for which the prerequisite
is peace and the recognition of Israel. This in turn will enhance
the viability of the Palestinian people's aspiration to self-determination.
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 The Board of Deputies of British Jews
is the representative organisation of the Jewish Community in
the United Kingdom—a role which it assumed in 1760. The
Board is democratically elected by the members of synagogues and
communal organisations and is charged with defending the rights
and freedoms of the Jewish community in the United Kingdom (UK).
1.2 The Board very much welcomes this opportunity
to make a written submission to the International Development
Select Committee on the current state of humanitarian affairs
within the Palestinian Territories (PTs).
1.3 The Board's involvement in matters relating
to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, regardless of the spiritual
and social ties of our community with Israel, is, by necessity,
driven by a need to defend and protect the UK Jewish community
from the antisemitic spill-over effect of events in the Middle
East. As the recent report of the All Party Parliamentary Inquiry
into Antisemitism demonstrated, increased anger over Israel's
policies serves as a pretext for attacks on Jewish people and
Jewish institutions in the UK. [1]Consequently,
the Board has an interest in the stability of the area and the
successful and lasting resolution of the conflict.
1.4 The Board presents this submission as
the representative organisation of a community which places a
high value on interfaith dialogue and understanding and wants
to see a situation of peaceful cohabitation between Palestinians
and Israelis as part of an enduring peace.
2. POLITICAL
DEVELOPMENTS AFFECTING
THE HUMANITARIAN
SITUATION
2.1 The current humanitarian situation for
ordinary Palestinians within the PTs can be said to be the result
of two major factors.
2.2 The first is the issue of corruption
within the civilian government administration from the previous
Fatah government. This issue, which was recognised in the last
report of the International Development Select Committee on the
same subject, [2]coupled
with a lack of internal reform within the Palestinian Authority
(PA), ultimately resulted in crucial European Union (EU) and other
international aid being diverted from the civilian population
whose standard of life they were meant to improve. This helped
lay the foundations of the current humanitarian crisis within
the PTs, which the new Hamas administration has only made worse.
2.3 The second and major factor which has
contributed to the current humanitarian problems in the PTs is
the Hamas victory in the Palestinian Legislative Council elections
in January 2006.
2.3.1 Though initially hailed as a triumph
of democracy and political representation, it is now clear that
the election of Hamas was as much a protest vote against Fatah
as it was a vote for Hamas. The consequent tensions between Fatah
and Hamas supporters, with the former expecting a return to power,
and occasionally escalating into violent clashes, has exacerbated
the humanitarian crisis considerably.
2.3.2 Since the election, even as Hamas
came to power on a promise to end corruption and deliver much
needed welfare services, Hamas's own political ideology has become
the central obstacle to their ability to carry out reforms. The
refusal to honour past agreements (including the Oslo Peace Accords),
renounce terrorism and recognise Israel (three conditions set
by the international community) coupled with the fact that Hamas
is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the United States
and British Governments, as well as the EU, has resulted in most
foreign aid being frozen. [3]With
the full agreement of the Quartet, Israel also stopped transferring
to the PA revenue from VAT and other taxes which it collects on
its behalf under the terms of the Oslo Peace Accords.
2.4 The result of these developments has
been that the Hamas administration has been unable to pay the
wages of 140,000 PA civil servants on whom both many thousands
of Palestinian families and ultimately the Palestinian economy
depend. Thus, ultimately Hamas has been holding the welfare of
the Palestinian people hostage to its own political ideology,
thereby reinforcing the fact that it remains a terrorist organisation
which only has its own interests at heart rather than a political
movement with a long-term peace and welfare strategy.
3. ISRAEL'S
HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE
3.1 Following the Palestinian elections
of January 2005 and the Sharm El-Sheikh Summit of February 2005
between Prime Minister Sharon and President Mahmood Abbas, Israel
put in place a framework of humanitarian assistance measures towards
the PTs. The framework forms Appendix I of this submission.[4]
3.2 The framework included: the opening
of crossings between Israel and the West Bank and Gaza; increasing
the number of work permits in Israel for Palestinians; easing
restrictions over the entry of Palestinians into Israel; and easing
movement generally within the West Bank and Gaza. These measures
were implemented in advance of Israel's disengagement from the
Gaza Strip. Hence, contrary to some opinions expressed from within
the international NGO community, Israel was taking decisive and
friendly measures to ease the flow of trade and people in the
PTs. In addition, the Israeli Government installed new security
systems and built larger, user friendly crossing terminals, which
are based on the concept of "minimal friction" between
the Palestinian population and the Israeli security forces. [5]
3.3 Despite Hamas's stance towards it, Israel
has continued to implement the measures it set out in the post-Sharm
El Sheikh humanitarian plan. Contrary to media and other misinformed
reports, crossings between Israel and the PTs have remained open—allowing
goods, medicines, food and other supplies to pass through.
3.4 Appendix II[6]
is a snapshot record of the movement across crossings into Gaza
from Israel between 31 August 2006 and 20 September 2006. This
sample, even when some crossings have been closed due to security
concerns, demonstrates that aid is passing through into the PTs.
This is demonstrated most clearly on 4 September when Egyptian
donations were allowed pass through the Kerem Shalom crossing
which was especially opened for the shipment to pass.
3.5 All the above demonstrate Israel's commitment
to humanitarian assistance and welfare of the Palestinians notwithstanding
security imperatives and the constant threat of terror attacks—a
fact that cannot be ignored or overstated. From the consultations
the Board has held with Israel's diplomats and senior leadership,
we believe that Israel understands, and is committed to, helping
the Palestinians rebuild their lives and their economy. The Deputy
Prime Minister, Shimon Peres, in a recent speech at Chatham House,
communicated his belief that economic means are the way forward
in terms of a long-term peace strategy. [7]
3.6 In July 2006 the Director General of
the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Aaron Abramovich upgraded
Israel's level of humanitarian response and assistance to international
charities and NGOs working to alleviate the situation in the PTs,
stating that: "Despite the complex context that the ongoing
Palestinian terror places us in, we do not want to see the Palestinian
people suffering and we do not want the relief organisations to
lack for anything in their work." [8]
3.7 A general consensus exists within the
international community with regard to the current humanitarian
situation within the PTs that it can only be resolved when the
Hamas leadership meets the three criteria set out by the international
community and when verifiable guarantees are made with regard
to the end destination of foreign funding and transparency is
ensured.
3.8 If a transparent mechanism is found,
the Board of Deputies believes that Israel will go further still
in working with the international community for the resolution
of humanitarian problems and ultimately a lasting peace.
4. CONCLUSION
4.1 Hamas's unwillingness to renounce terror,
honour past PA agreements and recognise Israel is resulting in
the continued deterioration of the humanitarian situation within
the PTs as most foreign aid has been frozen and revenue from Israel
is not being transferred.
4.2 Israel remains committed to helping
to alleviate the situation in the PTs by transferring supplies
to the Palestinian people but is being met with resistance.
4.3 Concerns continue to be voiced by Israel
and the Quartet about transparency and the final destination of
financial aid.
4.4 By way of future change, it is clear
that either Hamas must meet the international community's criteria
or, in the case of continued non-recognition of Israel, a permanent
mechanism is needed by which to get funding to the Palestinian
people, bypassing the Hamas led PA structure.
4.5 The route to ultimate improvement in
the humanitarian situation for the Palestinians is through a growing
economy and greater investment from abroad. However, this can
only happen when the leadership of Hamas meets the criteria set
by the international community.
October 2006
1 Report of the All-Party Parliamentary Inquiry into
Antisemitism, September 2006, p 18, paragraph, 89. Back
2
House of Commons International Development Select Committee, HC
230-I, 2004, p 32-37. Back
3
According to the World Bank, prior to the Hamas election official
aid to the Palestinian territories was an estimated $1billion
annually and scheduled to increase to $1.5 billion to support
the peace process. The per capita subvention for Palestinian
population works out at about $300 per person a year. This makes
the areas by far the biggest poor country recipients of foreign
aid of any area in the world. In Africa the figure is $25 per
annum per capita at best of which the EU provides $3-per-capita.
The subvention to the West Bank and Gaza is not far short of the
$400 per capita aid provided by the EU to Ireland which has pioneered
one of the biggest economic transformations in the Western world. Back
4
Not printed, Copy placed in Library. Back
5
"Israeli Assistance Steps and Humanitarian Measures Towards
the Palestinians", Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, May
2005, p 2, available at: http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000-2009/2005/Israeli%20assistance%20and%20human
itarian%20measures%20towards%20the%20Palestinians%20-%20May%202005 Back
6
Statistics and information courtesy of the Government of the State
of Israel. Not printed. Back
7
Speech given by Shimon Peres at Chatham House on Wednesday, 27
September 2006. Back
8
Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, 11 July 2006, accessed,
4 October 2006, 19:34 at http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/About+the+Ministry/MFA+Spokesman/2006/Israel+upgrades+humanitarian+response+11-Jul-2006.htm Back
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