BICOM

Prime Minister David Cameron yesterday emphasised his commitment to Israel’s security and outlined the potential benefits of peace during a speech to the Knesset.

Cameron called the Knesset a “beacon of democracy” and pledged, “with me, you have a British Prime Minister whose belief in Israel is unbreakable and whose commitment to Israel’s security will always be rock solid.” He acknowledged Israel’s vulnerability and commented, “I will always stand up for the right of Israel to defend its citizens. A right enshrined in international law, in natural justice and fundamental morality.”

Cameron also assured the Knesset, “I have a clear message. Britain opposes boycotts,” in all forms, emphasising that “Israel’s place as a homeland for the Jewish people will never rest on hollow resolutions passed by amateur politicians.”

Turning his attention to the peace process, Cameron said, “you don’t need lectures from me” on achieving peace. He said Britain fully supports the efforts of US Secretary of State John Kerry to forge a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) and endorsed Kerry’s formula of “mutual recognition of the nation state of the Palestinian people and the nation state of the Jewish people.” Cameron asked Knesset members to imagine how a two-state solution would alter life, including, “Israel’s relationships with the world. Its security its long-term prosperity and the quality of life for all its people.”

Cameron also addressed Iran’s nuclear development, saying, “A nuclear armed Iran is a threat to the whole world – not just to Israel” and pledged, “Britain will ensure that is never allowed to happen.” He said this, “can only be done through sustained international pressure” but that, “I share your deep scepticism and great concern about Iran.”

Cameron met yesterday with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres and visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial. He is scheduled to meet with PA President Mahmoud Abbas today, plus former-Prime Minister Tony Blair, now the Quartet Middle East envoy.