The situation in Lebanon
Posted by Karen Buck, MP for Regent's Park and Kensington North, at 14:37, Fri 4 August 2006:
My postbag has, rightly and understandably, swelled in the wake of recent events in Lebanon and Gaza. Graphic footage from Beirut, Qana, Haifa and Gaza City has left people numbed by outrage and despair, and a sense of powerlessness which not infrequently leads to real anger. Worse still, of course, is the fear and grief expressed by members of London’s Lebanese communities- one of the many communities from the Middle East who are well represented in my constituency, who have family and friends in the war zone, some of whom are safe, some gone and some missing.
Most of the (many) people who have been in touch with me are fiercely critical of what they perceive as the government’s response to the crisis. A few come at this from a profoundly anti-Israeli position, which ignores the impact of Hezbollah’s attacks on Israeli towns and the genuine fears in a nation which feels itself to be under threat of annihilation. (Some are straightforwardly anti-Semitic, and their words send a cold shiver down the spine). Yet the overwhelming majority do recognise this reality and acknowledge its impact. They are aware that this latest phase of the conflict began with a provocative incursion across the Israeli border by Hezbollah, and they condemn the attacks on civilians by both sides. What they want to express is both how appalled they are by the disproportionate scale of civilian casualties and the destruction of the Lebanese infrastructure; and what they feel is this government’s unwillingness to acknowledge that fact. Many of them say, and I accept, that the scale of the Israeli response is likely to be counter-productive- exchanging a short term military victory against Hezbollah for a dangerous undermining of Lebanon’s fragile democracy and a hardening for sympathy for Hezbollah. Whilst not anti-American, many also actively dislike George Bush’s rhetoric and reactions, and would like to see Britain being more of ‘critical’ in the role of ‘critical friend’.
It is, of course, more important that intense diplomatic negotiations succeed in achieving a ceasefire, and set the Middle East back on the Road Map towards a lasting peace, than that warm words are expressed that achieve nothing. However, the truth is that words do matter and many, including, but by no means confined to, Britain’s Muslim communities, feel that the government’s position of apparent even-handedness fails to reflect their grave concerns about disproportionality.
Writing ten days before publication, much may have changed by the time this appears but I very much hope that a sustainable ceasefire will have been achieved by now, and all efforts can be concentrated on the future. It was welcome to hear Tony Blair say, in his speech in Los Angeles, that the use of force alone cannot defeat either organisations like Hezbollah, or terrorism generally (it can, indeed, exacerbate the problem). He went on to say that we need to ‘rethink the war on terror’”, focusing as much on values as on military might, and that a focus on the deeper, underlying causes of violence, including poverty, the impact of climate change and unfair trade rules is necessary to help establish an ‘alliance of moderation’. If words and tone are important (and they are), the significance of this needs to be appreciated. He also quite rightly emphasised the critical importance of establishing a viable Palestinian state. There may well be no easy or early end to the challenges of extremism and terror in the modern world, but without a resolution to this ugliest of conflicts, progress is impossible.
However, this latter, fundamental, issue means not just giving a commitment in theory, but an acceptance of the fact that a reality is being established on the ground in Palestine which seems to be making the task harder by the day.
For details of statements that I have made and a copy of my letter to the Foreign Secretary on this issue, then please visit my website: www.karenbuck.org.uk
Commenting on this message is now disabled.