Ray McGovern and the Sam Adams party have presented the Sam Adams award to Edward Snowden. I am delighted. This from Ray’s account of the event:
In brief remarks from his visitors, Snowden was reassured — first and foremost — that he need no longer be worried that nothing significant would happen as a result of his decision to risk his future by revealing documentary proof that the U.S. government was playing fast and loose with the Constitutional rights of Americans.
Even amid the government shutdown, Establishment Washington and the normally docile “mainstream media” have not been able to deflect attention from the intrusive eavesdropping that makes a mockery of the Fourth Amendment. Even Congress is showing signs of awaking from its torpor.
In the somnolent Senate, a few hardy souls have gone so far as to express displeasure at having been lied to by Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and NSA Director Keith Alexander — Clapper having formally apologized for telling the Senate Intelligence Committee eavesdropping-related things that were, in his words, “clearly erroneous” and Alexander having told now-discredited whoppers about the effectiveness of NSA’s intrusive and unconstitutional methods in combating terrorism.
Coleen Rowley, the first winner of the Sam Adams Award (2002), cited some little-known history to remind Snowden that he is in good company as a whistleblower — and not only because of previous Sam Adams honorees. She noted that in 1773, Benjamin Franklin leaked confidential information by releasing letters written by then-Lt. Governor of Massachusetts Thomas Hutchinson to Thomas Whatley, an assistant to the British Prime Minister.
The letters suggested that it was impossible for the colonists to enjoy the same rights as subjects living in England and that “an abridgement of what are called English liberties” might be necessary. The content of the letters was so damaging to the British government that Benjamin Franklin was dismissed as colonial Postmaster General and had to endure an hour-long censure from British Solicitor General Alexander Wedderburn.
There has been a determined attempt by government to justify the need to intercept everybody’s communications, all the time. We have, yet again, had MI5 claim there are many thousand violent Islamic terrorists running around the UK, (yet somehow not managing to kill anybody). The cry of “paedophiles” is raised, as always. I can imagine them suggesting the entire population be shot dead, and justifying it as making sure they get the paedophiles. The tabloids would go with that.
There still had not been a single credible claim by the mainstream media that any named individual has died, despite that contingency being trotted out all the time as the reason Snowden and Manning should not have revealed state crimes and abuse of power. I am hopeful that, with the internet still largely free to the dissemination of information, out next massive whistleblower is only weeks away.
MJ Yes very good news about Lewisham Hospital. Wonder what the legal fees are for a judicial review that Hunt’s department has run up? The best part of £50k I reckon.
~~~
Villager
29 Oct, 2013 – 1:03 pm
Try some of your K remedies won’t you and dry up. I am telling the truth. I did not get the message ‘Duplicate Post – You have already said that’ either. End of as regards any further truck with you. You are extremely petty minded.
Suspects Can’t Mention being Tortured during Trial Testimony because Their Torture is Classified
Freedom, Freedom, Freedom, Hey!
Freedom, Freedom, Freedom, Hey!
Freedom, Freedom, Freedom, Hey!
“and meanwhile Mary sits back, saying little and just smiling……”
Not true. At one point Mary winked at Macky and said words to the effect ‘you see how they’re trying to divide us’. In other words egging him on. Mackry!
____________
As for Macky
26 Oct, 2013 – 9:38 am
“Jemand: “Mary, do you think Macky is innocent of posting the SF comment?”
Asks the Liar, with the ever increasing Pinocchio nose !”
Wouldn’t that be ever-lengthening, if anything? Not quite sure what ‘ever increasing’ is Pinocchio 😉 And that ”ever increasing” comes on top of ” alto ego” and the absolute classic “carry flavour”.
This fool is uneducated and clearly has a chip on his shoulder — i suggest a discernible inferiority complex which he tries to cover with all his aggressive barking.
_______________
In summary, we are left with the strange-bedfellow-alliance of MFM….Mary, Fuckedup and Macky — the story an Old Biddy, an angry young man and a foul-mouthed eunuch.
Mary: “Try some of your K remedies won’t you”
I am and they’re working.
Continuing to hold the mirror up so you can take greater responsibility for yourself. And please switch off your morning Radio GOB (Good ‘ol Biddy) service. Just look at the stuff up there — utter bunkum.
Australia operating as ‘listening post’ for US agencies including the NSA
Ben,
Feinstein’s always dressed for Halloween the way i see it 🙂
Hers is a controlled opposition i cant help but surmise.
It seems Uri Avnery has started dropping his anti-Zionism cover. Last month, he claimed that former Iranian president Dr. Ahmadinejad was a Mossad agent. In a recent article, Avnery has tried to prove that Israel is not an apatheid state like the old White-occupied South Africa.
http://rehmat1.com/2013/10/29/uri-avnery-israel-is-not-apartheid-state/
Godbole seems to have reverted to gold type and given up on cracking the dialectic. Perhaps Jiddu might have had some pointers towards sharons apparent exclusion from even Hell?! Satanyahu at the gallows might just regret not having taken heed from sharons predicament,but there is still time enough for Rabbi Ovadia to pay him one final nocturnal visit to cure him of his eretz delusion!
“Police are requesting “on behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service” that magazine vendors refrain from selling today’s edition of Private Eye.”
http://dwpexamination.org/forum/political-soap-box/police-trying-to-remove-private-eye-from-shops/#p114828
From the egregious “Rehmat” (yet someone else who plugs his own blog on this one..):
“In a recent article, Avnery has tried to prove that Israel is not an apatheid state like the old White-occupied South Africa.”
_______________
Yes, I was wondering how long it would be before someone would take a swipe at the excellent Uri Avnery!
Uri Avnery must come as a sore disappointment to all those who firmly believe that all Israelis are born with horns and a forked tail.
But as an Israeli dissident ‘working at the coalface’, so to speak, he’s worth a hundred of the armchair warriors one finds posting here about Israel.
BTW : Israel an apartheid state? Just remind me : did black and coloured South Africans have the vote in the former apartheid South Africa? Do Israeli Arabs have the vote in Israel? Could it even be that they can form their own political parties if so inclined?
Just askin’, as out Californian squawk would say!
*******************
PS to Villager – splendid post at 15h54!
The state is spying on all of us, building searchable personal profiles, which goes way beyond targeting potential terrorists. This, of course, was always the intention.
So Agent Cameron threatens the media – specifically the Guardian – because it told us about the extent of state spying, and the lies that were told by our elected representatives, both here and in the US, to cover it up. He’s not a democrat, he’s a manager who’s being told how to manage.
This is another watershed moment, coming hot on the heels of the Syria stand down, when the US and Russia went toe-to-toe. That, I think, signified the beginning of the end of American military dominance, or at least its ability to do whatever it wants when it wants to do it. Perhaps it also signified the limits of Israel’s influence on the US.
The Guardian must now publish MORE revelations, not fewer. Hopefully other MSM outlets will do the same. The secret state will either be pushed back or it will intrude further into our lives.
It is very far from perfect, but we now have a duty to buy the Guardian. Rusbridger and Co must press on with this, simply because the future of democracy and personal freedoms are at stake. This is when the secret state gets pushed back, or this is when it wins. This is another Syria moment.
Further to Uri Avnery: he’s a good example of someone who manages to be a dissident without at the same time hating his country.
Others (including some on this blog) please note.
From “Mike” (aka the Circulation Manager of The Guardian):
“The state is spying on all of us, building searchable personal profiles, which goes way beyond targeting potential terrorists. This, of course, was always the intention.”
___________________
In the interests of a good discussion, could Mike give us his views on WHY the state is “spying on all of us”? To what PURPOSE? A little detail and reasoning, please. Thank you
***********************
Always look….deeply….into the bright side of life!
@ Someone
““Police are requesting “on behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service” that magazine vendors refrain from selling today’s edition of Private Eye.””
____________________
The above is complete nonsense and the “source” you give is well-known for being unreliable as well as vexatious.
**********************
Always look on the bright side of life!
Blessed silence from Macky, Fedup and Passerby, the corporals of this blog : but will it last for the rest of the day?
Meanwhile, I note that the Rosa Klebb of the blog is bestirring herself again.
Captain Komode was cashiered recently and is in the Colchester glasshouse, where he has no access to a PC. This is good.
Jives, on the other hand, has also reappeared and is trying hard to reverse the 10:1 ratio of posts as compared to my good self – keep it up, Jivesy!
Finally, I feel we are in great need of one of Kempe’s stiletto-like posts (even though a needle would be enough to puncture the hot air balloons currently aloft)
***********************$
Always look on the bright side of life!
Thatcher’s runner poses outside Downing Street using children for his war propaganda.
‘David Cameron today spoke of his pride in supporting the Poppy Appeal as he welcomed the Poppy Girls to Downing Street.
The Prime Minister met the girlband with a difference – for all five members are schoolgirls who have fathers who have risked their lives in the Armed Forces.
The group was formed after an X Factor-style talent competition for the children of military families run by the Royal British Legion.’
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/10/29/article-0-190DDB8300000578-132_634x860.jpg
Disgraceful.
A pretence that we live in a fair and just democracy occurred in a committee room in the House of Commons today and a pretence that energy suppliers operate in a market. There is actually a cartel.
‘The boss of one of Britain’s largest energy companies has told MPs that there should be an inquiry into the whole energy market.
Tony Cocker, the chief executive of E.On, said he had written to Prime Minister David Cameron to suggest a full investigation.
“We need to have a very thorough Competition Commission inquiry,” he said.
He was speaking in front of MPs on the Energy and Climate Change Committee.
[..]
But Centrica, the parent company of British Gas, said a full competition inquiry would not be helpful.
“We believe it unnecessary as the market is competitive,” said a spokesperson.’
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24730122
Those executives giving evidence also justified their large bonuses. ‘Part of their remuneration package, blah blah.’
@Habby 6:47
Hmmm …. political parties. I seem to remember that you had to affirm the existence of Israel as a Jewish state before being able to form a political party.
Amongst lots of other stuff, the legal system happily considers nationality as a legitimate basis for discrimination (e.g. see State of Israel vs. Ashgoyev). A look at Israeli Apartheid: A Beginner’s Guide may be enlightening.
http://israeliapartheidguide.com/about/
Habbabkuk
29 Oct, 2013 – 7:09 pm
“Blessed silence from Macky, Fedup and Passerby, the corporals of this blog : but will it last for the rest of the day?
Meanwhile, I note that the Rosa Klebb of the blog is bestirring herself again.”
Rosa Klebb LOL good one there Habba 🙂
Btw, what is about this blog, where so few commenters have any sense of humour at all?
And Captain Komode — just one letter out from the lizard — is the best name that could’ve been given to this racist untouchable.
Btw how could you have left out our dear Nevermind and Dross? Quite a team, as ESLO would say, eh? Forgot Anal Node 😉
Still pissing into the wind and pimping for any given establishment line Habbabkuk eh?
If only the quality of your servile posts matched the quantity.
One day,i do hope,youll be free of following orders and having your opinions given to you to repeat here.
You need a little lie down sweetie,cant be easy being the full time toady.
“The above is complete nonsense and the “source” you give is well-known for being unreliable as well as vexatious.”
HabbabK, maybe you should look here? –>
http://order-order.com/2013/10/29/met-confirm-guido-scoop/
Jives: “You need a little lie down sweetie,cant be easy being the full time toady.”
Jives, serious question. I just finished commenting on the lack of humour here. Is that really the best you can come up with? Come on tell us a joke, repeat one, please. Make us laugh, just this once.
Mary @ 7.12pm
“Disgraceful.” Earlier “petty minded”
I’ll tell you what is disgraceful, is the apartheid you have been practicing here. Scorning at Dreoilin for communicating with me and some others. You are the real distractor/troll Mary, and if you tried to hand out your news-paste service for free, you’d be not just miserable, which you are, but a miserable failure. I think Jon tried to hint on several occasions that copy-pastes were disruptive, but it was/is all too subtle for you. Or your usual answer comes back ‘I am not going to be deterred’.
Spot the Friends of Israel at work in the House this afternoon.
Extracts from Oral Answers to Questions
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Palestinian Child Detainees
Alex Cunningham (Stockton North) (Lab):
What assessment he has made of the treatment of Palestinian child detainees in Israel.[900728]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Hugh Robertson):
Before answering, may I briefly place on the record my appreciation for the work of my predecessor, my hon. Friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt)? He will be greatly missed by his many friends in the House and across the region.
Despite some progress, we retain serious concerns about Israel’s treatment of Palestinian child detainees. The British ambassador in Tel Aviv wrote again to the Israeli Justice Minister on 14 October to urge further action.
Alex Cunningham:
I welcome the Minister to his new post. May I commend the Foreign Office report “Children in Military Custody” for exposing how the authorities in Israel arrest Palestinian children in the middle of the night, interrogate them without parents or lawyers present, bully them into signing confessions in a language they do not understand, and jail children as young as 12 years old? Will the Minister outline what action he is taking and tell the House how many of the 40 recommendations in the report have been carried out?
Hugh Robertson:
I am due to make my first visit to the region next week, so will be addressing many of the concerns outlined in the hon. Gentleman’s question. As he knows, the Foreign Office funded the report carried out by Baroness Scotland. We continue to urge the Government of Israel to implement it in full. As I have said, I will be taking that up next week.
Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere) (Con):
I warmly welcome the Minister to his responsibilities—if I may say so, he brings a terrific track record.
Does the Minister agree that the question of detainees is inextricably linked to the overall security situation in the region and progress in peace talks? Does he share my concern that Hamas is resolutely and literally trying to undermine the peace process in the region by building a tunnel from Gaza into Israel, no doubt for the purposes of promoting terrorism? What can we do to remove that obstacle?
Mr Speaker:
That was quite a cheeky attempt by the hon. Gentleman. I think the Minister should try to focus his remarks on the issue of child detainees. We are grateful to him for doing so.
Hugh Robertson:
Thank you, Mr Speaker—it will, of course, be a great pleasure.
As I said in my answer to the previous question, I look forward to my initial visit to the region next week. The concerns that my hon. Friend raises will be a topic of much discussion. The encouraging thing is that, for the first time in many years, we are in a process. I encourage both sides to engage in that peace process for the greater good of the country and the region.
Mr Andy Slaughter (Hammersmith) (Lab):
When the Minister visits the region, will he raise with his Israeli counterparts why Israel is the only country in the world that systematically tries children in military courts, and why about a quarter of the children currently in custody are held in Israel, which is also contrary to international law?
Hugh Robertson:
Yes, I will do so. As I have said, the Foreign Office helped to fund Baroness Scotland’s excellent report into many of the issues surrounding child detainees. We not only funded that report, but entirely support it. During my time as a Minister, I will do everything I can to ensure that its recommendations are properly and correctly implemented.
Mr David Burrowes (Enfield, Southgate) (Con):
I join hon. Members who have concerns about the treatment of detainees, but is it not important to focus on the source of the problem, which is Palestinian children being infected by the glorification of violence and hate education, which, sadly, are supported by the Palestinian Authority? Can the Minister assure me that taxpayer funding does not support such activities?
Hugh Robertson:
Yes, on the basis of three weeks’ work, I can give my hon. Friend that assurance. In a sense, his question points to the importance of everybody concerned getting behind the peace process. If that comes successfully to fruition, many of those problems will be solved in its wake.
______
UK Exports
Guto Bebb (Aberconwy) (Con):
What progress his Department has made on increasing UK exports to established and emerging markets.[900737]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr Hugo Swire):
Between 2009 and 2012, UK exports increased by 23% in the wake of the deepest recession in post-war history. This growth has primarily been driven by demand in emerging markets. In South Korea, exports have risen by 103%; in China, excluding Hong Kong, by 80%; in Russia by 76% and in Brazil by 64%. Exports to the US increased by more than 8% between 2010 and 2012, although UK exports to the EU were flat.
Guto Bebb:
I thank the Minister for his response. During the past decade, the value of bilateral trade between the UK and Israel has increased by over 60% to about £3.8 billion. It gives me particular pleasure to note that the trade between Wales and Israel with respect to life sciences is doing extremely well. As a result of these facts, will the Minister join me in welcoming this growth in trade between the UK and Israel—a country that is forward looking in its economic performance.
Mr Swire:
We greatly welcome the flourishing of UK-Israel trade, which is the result of concerted efforts by the Government, including, as my hon. Friend said, the creation of the UK-Israel tech hub, which celebrated its second anniversary this month, and our burgeoning co-operation with Israel in respect of life sciences, which was cemented in an memorandum of understanding on science co-operation, signed by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary during his recent visit to Israel in May.
_______
Overseas British Risk Register
Ann McKechin (Glasgow North) (Lab):
When he plans to issue guidance to UK businesses through the overseas business risk register on trade with illegal settlements.[900743]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Hugh Robertson):
We will update our online guidance for citizens and businesses on overseas markets, including Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, in the coming weeks, in line with the UK action plan on business and human rights.
Ann McKechin:
I thank the Minister for his reply, but may I ask him urgently to review the documentation on the UK Trade & Investment website’s “Doing Business in Israel” section, which, according to Oxfam, encourages British businesses to invest in settlements in the Jordan valley by giving details of Israeli grants available for settlements business?
Hugh Robertson:
Yes, I will certainly look at the guidance the hon. Lady mentions. The UK Government’s policy on this is very clear: settlements are illegal and they are an obstacle to peace, but we work in concert with our EU partners in producing guidelines that affect this issue.
T4.[900756]
Mrs Louise Ellman (Liverpool, Riverside) (Lab/Co-op):
Rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza have resumed, and Hamas threatens to restart suicide attacks. Will the Minister condemn the statement from the leader of Hamas that the Palestinians should withdraw from peace talks and launch a third intifada? Does he believe that the Palestinian Authority are sufficiently strong and well motivated to resist that call?
Mr Hague:
I believe that the Palestinian Authority are certainly well motivated—that is a good way to put it. I believe that President Abbas is a courageous man of peace, and he has taken many risks and overcome much opposition in order to get back into the peace process and into negotiations with Israel. I absolutely condemn any encouragement to him to do anything other than that, and Hamas for saying that that should cease. We want to see those negotiations continue over the coming weeks and bring success.
_______
24 mentions of the name Israel throughout this short session. It even came into questions on Iran which I haven’t copied. Mrs Ellman again.
http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/hansard/commons/todays-commons-debates/read/unknown/13/
Villager,
Humour you want? Well i find it hilarious when Habby’s lost for a reply to me cos his line manager’s busy and cant tell him what to say,but the real hilarious kicker is when you jump in for him like his little lap dog.
Quaint,almost romantic in its servitude- but hilarious nonetheless
Isn’t love sweet ! The Habbu-Clown has found his missing Idiot from the Village, and its la vita è bella once more ! Yes, for the Troll-Clown, life is looking on the bright side again, but for everybody else, it’s reach for the scroll forward button, as their inane nonsense once again clutters up & fouls this Blog.
Pykrete: “A look at Israeli Apartheid: A Beginner’s Guide may be enlightening”
The Habbu-Clown Troll needs a “Beginners Guide” for every subject he dares pontificate on, except of course, on Trolling, and attracting rural feeble-minded devotees.
The JC acclaim Luciana Berger.
Burt out but Berger’s new health role
By Charlotte Oliver, October 10, 2013
Israel supporters have paid tribute to Alistair Burt’s fairness in dealing with Middle East affairs after his departure from the Foreign Office in David Cameron’s reshuffle this week.
The MP for North-East Bedfordshire stepped down as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State after a three-and-a-half year tenure, during which time he won favour among the community for his close work with Israel.
He has been replaced by former Sports Minister Hugh Robertson.
Stuart Polak, director of the Conservative Friends of Israel, said: “During a period of significant regional instability in the Middle East, Alistair Burt has been fair-minded, honest and consistent in his dealings with the various parties in the area. He maintained a balanced and neutral position and never deviated from his view that two states for two peoples was the key to peace for Israelis and Palestinians.”
Before he was an FO minister, Mr Burt, who is a member of CFI, helped campaign for visiting rights for Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier held hostage by Hamas.
In January he warned of the damage being done to Israel’s international reputation by its decision to build settlements beyond the Green Line.
Mr Robertson, a former army major who is also a member of CFI, made headlines earlier this year when he defied MPs who called for a boycott of Israel as hosts of the UEFA under-21 football championships.
Liverpool Wavertree MP Luciana Berger was moved from Climate Change to Shadow Minister for Public Health in Ed Miliband’s reshuffle on Tuesday.
Expressing delight at her new role, she said: “The health of our nation and defending the NHS is going to be one of the biggest issues of the next election. It’s going to be a great challenge. I can’t wait to get started.”
There are many LOLS in that short piece.
Ms Berger visited the UAE and Dubai this year courtesy of that government. The reasons are stated. The UAE is so low carbon isn’t it? She also visited Tel Aviv courtesy of the World Jewish Council to meet Jewish parliamentarians.
Name of donor: Government of the United Arab Emirates
Address of donor: c/o Embassy of the UAE, 30 Princes Gate, London SW7 1PT
Amount of donation (or estimate of the probable value): costs of visit; value £3,500
Destination of visit: Abu Dhabi and Dubai, UAE
Date of visit: 22-28 March 2013
Purpose of visit: member of a cross-party delegation to meet with Government ministers, Members of the Federal National Council and British diplomats in order to learn about and build on the bilateral relationship, visit Masdar city and promote low carbon trade and investment ties.
(Registered 9 April 2013)
Name of donor: World Jewish Congress Address of donor: 501 Madison Avenue, New York , NY 10022 , USA Amount of donation: £796.88 for 3 nights stay at the David Citadel Hotel and £1,132.30 roundtrip flight from London to Tel Aviv, total value £1,929.18 Destination of visit: Tel Aviv, Israel Date of visit: 26th June 2011 – 29th June 2011 Purpose of visit: To attend an international conference of Jewish parliamentarians(Registered 28 July 2011)
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/regmem/?p=24924
Jives
29 Oct, 2013 – 9:11 pm
Villager,
Humour you want? Well i find it hilarious when Habby’s lost for a reply to me cos his line manager’s busy and cant tell him what to say,but the real hilarious kicker is when you jump in for him like his little lap dog.
Quaint,almost romantic in its servitude- but hilarious nonetheless..”
Delighted to humour you, but its the other way round that was my request you dimwit. Forget it, give up.
Mrs Ellman is just back from Israel.
6. Overseas visits
Name of donor: Labour Friends of Israel
Address of donor: BM LFI, London, W1N 3XX
Amount of donation (or estimate of the probable value): flights with a value of £550; additional transport with a value of £60, and accommodation, food and drink valued at £1,190; total £1,800
Destination of visit: Israel and the Palestinian Territories
Date of visit:29 September 2013 to 4 October 2013
Purpose of visit: Fact finding mission to Israel and the Palestinian territories with a defence and security focus
and so is Julian Huppert, LD Cambridge.
Name of donor: Dr Neil Bradman
Address of donor: private
Amount of donation (or estimate of the probable value): costs of visit; approx £2,750
Destination of visit: Israel
Date of visit: 24-27 August 2013
Purpose of visit: to look at high-tech companies
El Al must do good business with this to and fro from the HoC.
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/regmem/?f=2013-10-14
WTF? Hope you don’t subject your neighbours to oral versions of this. MacMonkey you want the scroll button? Go for it! The MFM slogan: We won’t be deterred in trolling you with C&P’s, aggression and plain abuse.
Mary
29 Oct, 2013 – 9:06 pm
Spot the Friends of Israel at work in the House this afternoon.
Extracts from Oral Answers to Questions
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Palestinian Child Detainees
Alex Cunningham (Stockton North) (Lab):
What assessment he has made of the treatment of Palestinian child detainees in Israel.[900728]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Hugh Robertson):
Before answering, may I briefly place on the record my appreciation for the work of my predecessor, my hon. Friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt)? He will be greatly missed by his many friends in the House and across the region.
Despite some progress, we retain serious concerns about Israel’s treatment of Palestinian child detainees. The British ambassador in Tel Aviv wrote again to the Israeli Justice Minister on 14 October to urge further action.
Alex Cunningham:
I welcome the Minister to his new post. May I commend the Foreign Office report “Children in Military Custody” for exposing how the authorities in Israel arrest Palestinian children in the middle of the night, interrogate them without parents or lawyers present, bully them into signing confessions in a language they do not understand, and jail children as young as 12 years old? Will the Minister outline what action he is taking and tell the House how many of the 40 recommendations in the report have been carried out?
Hugh Robertson:
I am due to make my first visit to the region next week, so will be addressing many of the concerns outlined in the hon. Gentleman’s question. As he knows, the Foreign Office funded the report carried out by Baroness Scotland. We continue to urge the Government of Israel to implement it in full. As I have said, I will be taking that up next week.
Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere) (Con):
I warmly welcome the Minister to his responsibilities—if I may say so, he brings a terrific track record.
Does the Minister agree that the question of detainees is inextricably linked to the overall security situation in the region and progress in peace talks? Does he share my concern that Hamas is resolutely and literally trying to undermine the peace process in the region by building a tunnel from Gaza into Israel, no doubt for the purposes of promoting terrorism? What can we do to remove that obstacle?
Mr Speaker:
That was quite a cheeky attempt by the hon. Gentleman. I think the Minister should try to focus his remarks on the issue of child detainees. We are grateful to him for doing so.
Hugh Robertson:
Thank you, Mr Speaker—it will, of course, be a great pleasure.
As I said in my answer to the previous question, I look forward to my initial visit to the region next week. The concerns that my hon. Friend raises will be a topic of much discussion. The encouraging thing is that, for the first time in many years, we are in a process. I encourage both sides to engage in that peace process for the greater good of the country and the region.
Mr Andy Slaughter (Hammersmith) (Lab):
When the Minister visits the region, will he raise with his Israeli counterparts why Israel is the only country in the world that systematically tries children in military courts, and why about a quarter of the children currently in custody are held in Israel, which is also contrary to international law?
Hugh Robertson:
Yes, I will do so. As I have said, the Foreign Office helped to fund Baroness Scotland’s excellent report into many of the issues surrounding child detainees. We not only funded that report, but entirely support it. During my time as a Minister, I will do everything I can to ensure that its recommendations are properly and correctly implemented.
Mr David Burrowes (Enfield, Southgate) (Con):
I join hon. Members who have concerns about the treatment of detainees, but is it not important to focus on the source of the problem, which is Palestinian children being infected by the glorification of violence and hate education, which, sadly, are supported by the Palestinian Authority? Can the Minister assure me that taxpayer funding does not support such activities?
Hugh Robertson:
Yes, on the basis of three weeks’ work, I can give my hon. Friend that assurance. In a sense, his question points to the importance of everybody concerned getting behind the peace process. If that comes successfully to fruition, many of those problems will be solved in its wake.
______
UK Exports
Guto Bebb (Aberconwy) (Con):
What progress his Department has made on increasing UK exports to established and emerging markets.[900737]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr Hugo Swire):
Between 2009 and 2012, UK exports increased by 23% in the wake of the deepest recession in post-war history. This growth has primarily been driven by demand in emerging markets. In South Korea, exports have risen by 103%; in China, excluding Hong Kong, by 80%; in Russia by 76% and in Brazil by 64%. Exports to the US increased by more than 8% between 2010 and 2012, although UK exports to the EU were flat.
Guto Bebb:
I thank the Minister for his response. During the past decade, the value of bilateral trade between the UK and Israel has increased by over 60% to about £3.8 billion. It gives me particular pleasure to note that the trade between Wales and Israel with respect to life sciences is doing extremely well. As a result of these facts, will the Minister join me in welcoming this growth in trade between the UK and Israel—a country that is forward looking in its economic performance.
Mr Swire:
We greatly welcome the flourishing of UK-Israel trade, which is the result of concerted efforts by the Government, including, as my hon. Friend said, the creation of the UK-Israel tech hub, which celebrated its second anniversary this month, and our burgeoning co-operation with Israel in respect of life sciences, which was cemented in an memorandum of understanding on science co-operation, signed by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary during his recent visit to Israel in May.
_______
Overseas British Risk Register
Ann McKechin (Glasgow North) (Lab):
When he plans to issue guidance to UK businesses through the overseas business risk register on trade with illegal settlements.[900743]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Hugh Robertson):
We will update our online guidance for citizens and businesses on overseas markets, including Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, in the coming weeks, in line with the UK action plan on business and human rights.
Ann McKechin:
I thank the Minister for his reply, but may I ask him urgently to review the documentation on the UK Trade & Investment website’s “Doing Business in Israel” section, which, according to Oxfam, encourages British businesses to invest in settlements in the Jordan valley by giving details of Israeli grants available for settlements business?
Hugh Robertson:
Yes, I will certainly look at the guidance the hon. Lady mentions. The UK Government’s policy on this is very clear: settlements are illegal and they are an obstacle to peace, but we work in concert with our EU partners in producing guidelines that affect this issue.
T4.[900756]
Mrs Louise Ellman (Liverpool, Riverside) (Lab/Co-op):
Rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza have resumed, and Hamas threatens to restart suicide attacks. Will the Minister condemn the statement from the leader of Hamas that the Palestinians should withdraw from peace talks and launch a third intifada? Does he believe that the Palestinian Authority are sufficiently strong and well motivated to resist that call?
Mr Hague:
I believe that the Palestinian Authority are certainly well motivated—that is a good way to put it. I believe that President Abbas is a courageous man of peace, and he has taken many risks and overcome much opposition in order to get back into the peace process and into negotiations with Israel. I absolutely condemn any encouragement to him to do anything other than that, and Hamas for saying that that should cease. We want to see those negotiations continue over the coming weeks and bring success.
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24 mentions of the name Israel throughout this short session. It even came into questions on Iran which I haven’t copied. Mrs Ellman again.
http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/hansard/commons/todays-commons-debates/read/unknown/13/