Question
As we speak right now, Israel is yet again pursuing its brutal policy of collective punishment in the west bank, with Hebron sealed off and more than 1,000 people due to have their homes demolished imminently. I welcome our Government boldly placing sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements. With Israelis going to the polls today, will the Secretary of State commit to maintaining the pressure until illegal settlement expansion ends once and for all and we can truly see the two-state solution that we all dream of?
Answer
My hon. Friend speaks with great eloquence on these issues, and I agree with her. It is right to say that the very important finding we have made is that the occupation, not just the settlements, is illegal. Therefore, in furtherance of our policy of a two-state solution to the occupation of the west bank and Gaza, we will take action in relation to the economic relationships that we have. She is exactly right about this issue; this is about bringing peace to Palestinians and Israelis.20% vibes
Verdict: AMBER (62/100)
The reply makes a clear commitment that the government will keep taking action on its economic relationships, which directly answers the question about maintaining pressure. It does not explicitly tie that pressure to ending settlement expansion, which was the condition the question set, and it does not say what specific actions will follow. The asker would have a firm position to work from but would probably need to ask for specifics on the conditions and the measures involved.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will the Government commit to maintaining pressure on Israel until illegal settlement expansion in the West Bank ends, with the aim of a two-state solution? | Addressed | Direct | Statement 3 gives an explicit commitment ('we will take action in relation to the economic relationships that we have') framed within the two-state policy, which answers the 'will you maintain pressure' question. Statement 2 supports it by asserting the occupation is illegal. The reply does not specifically tie the pressure to ending settlement expansion, so the conditional 'until' element is only loosely covered. |