Parliamentarians Call on U.K to Support Israeli-Palestinian Peacebuilding at G7 Summit
Last week, 37 parliamentarians from parties drawn from right across the UK political spectrum signed a letter addressed to Prime Minister Sunak and Lord Cameron urging them to highlight civil society peacebuilding work as part of any process to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This letter– which includes some of the most prominent voices in pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian voices in Parliament, united in support for those working for peace in the region– comes ahead of the G7 taking place in Italy next month, where Prime Minister Sunak will join other G7 heads of state.
The letter echoes the calls of more than 250 peacebuilding organisations and supporter signatories, all calling on the G7 to centre civil society peacebuilding at its annual summit. Notably last weekend, bereaved Palestinian and Israeli peacebuilders, Aziz Abu Sarah and Maoz Inon met with His Holiness Pope Francis to present this campaign and garner his support. Pope Francis proudly signed in front of 12,000 people at the Arena di Pace in Verona, Italy.
Echoing similar asks, these UK parliamentarians are addressing the UK government and calling on Prime Minister Sunak and Lord Cameron to support the inclusion of the following language in the G7 leaders communiqué:
This year– with the situation in the region more grave than at any point in memory– it is vital that the UK leads G7 partners in prioritising the work of those Israelis and Palestinians who are working to build a more peaceful, secure and just shared future.
As discussed in length in this recently published paper by ALLMEP’s Executive Director, John Lyndon, if a renewed diplomatic process is to succeed where all its predecessors have failed, then it must be very different to what has come before. Civil society must be put at the core of any strategy, rather than at the margins– or absent altogether– as has been the case in every single previous attempt at final status diplomacy.
Read the letter below:
