Written question asked by Lord Hylton (Crossbench), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Triesman (Labour) on Thursday, 24 May 2007.

Israel and Palestine

Question: asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their response and that of the Middle East Quartet to the list of 33 benchmarks to be implemented by Israel and the Palestinian Authority during 2007; and whether they include family re-unification in both the West Bank and Gaza.

Answer: As the proposals are currently being discussed between the parties, the quartet (EU, US, UN and Russia) has made no comment. However, we do believe it is essential that progress is made on movement and access in and between the West Bank and Gaza, and we support the development of a functioning and accountable security sector to ensure a viable future Palestinian state. Although the benchmarks do not specifically include a reference to family reunification, we remain concerned at the effects of Israel’s Nationality and Entry into Israel Law, which discriminates against Israelis who marry non-Israelis. We will continue to raise our concerns about this with the Israeli Government.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 3766; 692 c133-4WA
Session: 2006-07
Subjects: Access Families Travel restrictions Israel Palestine West Bank Middle East Peace negotiations Gaza
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk