Below is a round of up questions related to Palestine raised in the House of Commons and House of Lords during early May 2011:
 
On 4th May, in his statement on the death of Osama Bin Laden, David Cameron commented on the Fatah-Hamas reconciliation agreement, signed the same day:

The Prime Minister: We have to take the positive, optimistic view that, although there will be all sorts of difficulties in the days ahead, Palestinian unity between Fatah and Hamas should be a step forward and we must make sure that it is. What follows is trying to persuade the Israelis and others that … this is an opportunity to take steps towards peace, as they will be dealing with more democratic neighbours.

In the Lords on Monday 9 May Lord Dubs – recently back from a visit to the West Bank – elicited a clearer statement of the Government’s attitude to the agreement and to Hamas:

Lord Dubs: The Minister will be aware of the widespread support for the Prime Minister's recent positive approach to the agreement between Fatah and Hamas. What is the Government's view on the Israeli Government's threat to withhold $105 million-worth of tax and customs revenues from the Palestinian Authority in case it should proceed with this agreement with Hamas?

Lord Howell of Guildford: We think that that is the wrong approach. On the contrary, Israel and the two parties that are now coming together in some reconciliation should now take the opportunities offered to carry the whole peace process forward. It should be recognised that, unfortunately, Hamas's commitment to non-violence has not yet taken place-it has not yet committed to the quartet principles and we would like to see it be a more effective partner for peace-but on the whole we see these trends as the right ones and we think that the Israeli withholding of revenues is the wrong approach.

Lord Ashdown: Given that the present pattern of Israeli settlements makes the Palestinian state completely unviable, is it not the case that no such solution could ever realistically be achieved without a withdrawal of at least some, if not all, of the current pattern of Israeli settlements?

Lord Howell of Guildford: There have been some ideas of the settlements existing within Palestinian jurisdiction while other ideas include some withdrawal. These matters have all been examined in immense detail as part of the move forward, but first there has to be some movement in recognising that we now have opportunities for the peace process to develop in the right direction, rather than the attitude that we hear in some quarters at present that, "Nothing can be done for the moment because we don't know where anyone stands, we don't know where Egypt stands and we don't know where the Fatah/Hamas agreement really stands". That is a negative attitude. We must overcome that and move forward on all these fronts, including the settlements.

Lord Hylton: Was it not a great mistake to impose completely unacceptable preconditions on Hamas? Has the minister noted that polls recently showed that 52 % of Israelis welcomed engagement with Hamas?
Lord Howell of Guildford: Our position remains that we are not prepared to talk to Hamas until it renounces violence, recognises Israel and adheres to the quartet principles. That is and will remain our view. If Hamas changes its attitude and moves forward, and if the partnership with al-Fatah comes to a positive conclusion, we will be prepared to review the situation, but at the moment that is our position.

Lord Phillips of Sudbury: My Lords, does the Minister accept that power is given to the extremist wing of Hamas by the relentless Israeli colonisation of the West Bank and east Jerusalem, and that without a cessation of that at least there is no chance that the moderate majority within Hamas will be able to bring about the conditions that he mentions? At the same time, will he urge the Israeli Government to observe the results of the forthcoming Palestinian elections and not scupper them, as they did in 2006 by kidnapping 26 Hamas MPs?
Lord Howell of Guildford: Balanced handling of settlements and the Jerusalem problem is at the centre of the whole situation. Urging the Israeli Government to proceed in a way that will not scupper-in my noble friend's words-any progress is something that we do in our constant dialogue with the Israeli authorities. We will certainly continue along those lines.

In Foreign Office questions in the Commons last week there were a number of questions about Israel & Palestine from Gerald Kaufman, Richard Burden and Rosie Cooper:

9.Rosie Cooper MP (West Lancashire) (Lab): What recent discussions he has had with the Palestinian Authority to encourage the resumption of peace negotiations. [53528]

Alistair Burt: The Foreign Secretary discussed the peace process and the need to return to direct negotiations with Palestinian President Abbas during his recent visit to London. We made it clear that we believe that only a negotiated settlement will secure a sovereign, viable and contiguous Palestinian state, living in peace and security next to a safe, secure and recognised Israel.

Rosie Cooper MP: Is the Minister concerned about Iranian influence in Hamas-controlled Gaza and in Syria and Lebanon?

Alistair Burt: Briefly, yes. It remains our view, from all the available evidence, that the Iranian regime is interested in instability and disrupting the efforts of nations to build the necessary security and confidence between themselves that we all wish to see. So far, Iranian influence has rarely proved to be advantageous to the world community, but we live in hope.

Sir Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton) (Lab): Is the Minister aware that at 12.30 pm last Friday at Nabi Salih on the west bank, a peaceful demonstration against illegal settlements by Palestinians and Israelis, including women and children, was attacked by the Israeli army, which hurled hundreds of gas bombs and sound grenades at them, fired at them with rubber bullets and had a vehicle that hurled sewage at them? Will he condemn this kind of savagery and make it clear to the Israelis that it is impossible to have peace if Israeli troops behave in this abominable way?

Alistair Burt: I am not aware of the particular incident that he raises, but there is no doubt that in the past, where there have been incidents involving people peacefully protesting—as we believe it is right to do—against settlements that we consider to be illegal, we have condemned such action and we will continue to do so.

Stephen Twigg (Liverpool, West Derby) (Lab/Co-op): There is real concern about the continuing lack of progress towards peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis. What is the Government’s assessment of the impact of last week’s reconciliation talks between Fatah and Hamas on the prospects of a peaceful transition to a two-state solution and what role do they see for the European Union in this crucial period?

Alistair Burt: The fact that Fatah and Hamas have come to some agreement is something that might provide a step forward. However, it is crucial that that should lead to progress and to both Palestinian wings continuing to reject violence, continuing with the peace process and recognising the state of Israel. As yet, Hamas has not made any move in that direction. We hope that the reconciliation will eventually lead to progress towards a democratic Palestinian state that will indeed reject violence and wish to live in peace and security with its neighbour, but we must judge it by its actions.

Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield) (Lab): Returning to the question of Hamas, does the Foreign Secretary agree that the reported comments of Ismail Haniya yesterday were appalling and are already being seized on by enemies of peace on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian divide? Does he agree that we must not be deflected from the cause of peace but must recognise the potential for unity between Fatah and Hamas and recognise that peace is ultimately built between enemies, not with friends?

In the Lords Baroness Jenny Tonge introduced a debate on the Middle East and Foreign Office minister Baroness Verma replied.  During the debate, Lord Sheikh, a Conservative peer, spoke in favour of recognition of a Palestinian state:
 
Lord Sheikh:  I have been involved in facilitating two convoys of humanitarian aid being sent to Gaza through the Rafah crossing.  I have also visited Gaza with the consent of those on my Front Bench and the Conservative Party.  I, along with three other British parliamentarians, visited Israel and the West Bank last month. The Palestinians are aiming for a declaration of statehood in September and I very much hope that all parties involved in the dispute will have something positive to say before the declaration. Israel is a mighty military power, but it must be magnanimous and arrive at a two-state solution whereby it has a guarantee of security and nationhood, but in return it must ensure that Arabs are fairly treated and have full independence.
 
(During her response the minister did not support recognition, but welcomed the Fatah-Hamas reconciliation).
 
Baroness Verma: We have upgraded the Palestinian general delegation. It was agreed by the Foreign Secretary in March that, in view of the signs of improvements made by the Palestinian Authority in its state-building agenda and the progress being made on its road-map commitments, the upgrade of the delegation office means that it will now be renamed as the Palestinian mission. There will be simplified visa arrangements, but it is important to make it clear that this is not the first step towards recognising the Palestinian state.
Britain hopes that the announcement of reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas will lead to the formation of a Government that reject violence and pursue a negotiated peace and we will judge a future Palestinian Government by their actions and readiness to work for peace.

The most important lesson we have learnt from the Arab spring is that legitimate aspirations cannot be ignored and must be addressed. If we cannot create a path for those legitimate aspirations to be secured through negotiation, there is a risk of violence and a generation of people who see little hope for the future. This should not be allowed to happen.

We recognise the significant progress made by the Palestinian Authority in building the foundations of a viable Palestinian state in line with its road-map commitments. The UK continues to support the creation of a sovereign and viable Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel, but also continues to believe that the best way to achieve a lasting solution … is through a negotiated solution.