---

Global Security (Middle East)

The hon. Gentleman makes an excellent point. We obviously need to get to that point, but the two scenarios have different histories and one cannot generalise too much. Nevertheless, as the hon. Gentleman said, elements of Hamas are clearly extreme; for example, it does not recognise the right of Israel to exist. I have not had the advantage of visiting Gaza, like some hon. Members, but I suspect that, if we took polls in Gaza and in Israel, the ordinary people, not those who make the decisions, would still have a desire for peace. They might have different views about how to arrive at a settlement, but the important thing is to remember is the wish for peace. No one wants to live in the current situation.