Lord Polak raises concerns in the Lords about Foreign Office position on Gaza

Senior Conservative peer Lord Polak has raised concerns about David Cameron’s postion on Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza and asked for clarification on a “deeply worrying” Foreign Office seminar on the conflict which he said included “speakers who were clearly at odds with government policy.”

Speaking in a major House of Lords foreign policy debate, Lord Polak said:”Some three months ago, my noble friend the Foreign Secretary said ‘If we leave Hamas in charge of even a part of Gaza, there will never be a two-state solution because you can’t expect Israel to live next to a group of people that want to do October 7 all over again’.”

He continued:”I would be grateful if he can confirm that this continues to be his position and that of His Majesty’s government.

“In asking my questions, I would like him, if possible, to comment on the deeply worrying FCDO seminar that took place last Wednesday, 28 February—“Israel/Gaza: What Next for Hamas?”—with 100 people, including speakers who were clearly at odds with government policy.”

Polak, president of the Conservative Friends of Israel group, referenced five steps that Cameron had insisted could eventually lead to achieving peace in the region.

But he added: “no ceasefire can be achieved until all hostages are released.” He noted that he had “spent time with the families of hostages both in Israel and here in the UK. ”

The peer added:”We recoil in horror at the witnesses’ testimony about those held hostage, especially the plight of the young women of the tunnels, who are subject to unspeakable horrors as sex slaves—they must all come home. ”

Polak also said: “It seems to me that the Abraham Accords represent a beacon of hope; they have shown promise, but their full potential remains untapped.”

The Foreign Office confirmed that the seminar had taken place last Wednesday, adding that the UK government’s position was “unequivocal that Hamas is a terrorist organisation.”

A spokesman added: “Many of the views expressed by the academics in the seminar were wrong and contrary to the government’s position.”