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Middle East

My Lords, I hope that, broadly speaking, people across the political spectrum in the United Kingdom believe in the two-state solution and the viability of both states as an international outcome. I wholly agree with my noble friend that the blame game is seldom profitable and that, at a time like this, it is most likely to be disruptive. I can see very little merit in it. We need stability, underpinned by an international force if necessary—you cannot simply intercede between warring parties. I understand that Javier Solana and the Secretary-General of the UN are discussing what kind of force that may be. Such a force may greatly encourage the parties to cease shooting at each other if it is believed to be capable of stopping rocket fire in one direction and the bombings in the other direction, in which case it would be well worth having such a disposition on the ground. Those seem to be the lines along which the G8 conducted its discussion. I believe that such a force has potential, and no doubt further discussion and reports to the House would be very important as that proceeds.