Discussion of Palestinian-Israeli Conflict in British Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee (2014)

Abstract

The authors analyze the debates on the problem of the Middle East settlement in the Foreign Affairs Committee of the British Parliament, which took place in connection with the start of the American peace initiative in 2013-14. A general description of the discussion of the Middle East issues at committee meetings during the government cadence of D. Cameron (2010-2016) is given. Particular attention is paid to the positions of the parties to the conflict, stated at the meeting by the diplomats of Israel and Palestine. The key issues of the Palestinian-Israeli confrontation are considered: issues of permanent status (borders, refugees, Israeli settlements, the status of Jerusalem) and security issues discussed at the negotiations held under the auspices of John Kerry. It is proved that the positions of the conflicting parties remained irreconcilable. It is noted that at this historical stage, none of the leading powers of the world had sufficient influence for an effective and successful settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The novelty of the study lies in the fact that for the first time the documents of the British Parliament were introduced into scientific circulation in order to analyze the prospects for a Middle East settlement. The relevance of the study is due to the fact that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict remains a source of tension in the Middle East, continuing to influence the situation in the region and the policies of the leading world powers.