ISRAELI WITHDRAWAL FROM SOUTHERN LEBANON

Early day motion 794, tabled 5 June 2000 by Stephen Twigg (Labour). Signed by 47 members.

That this House notes the full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory in compliance with United Nations Resolution 425; appreciates that this fulfils the pledge made by Prime Minister Ehud Barak to the Israeli electorate that Israel would be out of Lebanon within a year of the election; acknowledges that the purpose of the Israeli presence in Lebanon was to protect the citizens of Israel's northern towns and villages from terrorist attacks; further notes that any pretext for violence against Israel has been removed; urges UNIFIL and the Lebanese Armed Forces to gain full control over south Lebanon to ensure the peace; insists that UN Resolution 425 requires the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Lebanese territory, including the 35,000 Syrian troops so that Lebanon may exercise its sovereignty throughout its territory; welcomes Israel's acceptance of 6,600 Lebanese Christian, Druze and Shia Muslim refugees who fear Hizbollah reprisals; deplores that fact that Iran, Hizbollah's long term patron, has sought to encourage more attacks against Israel and has used every effort to undermine peace efforts in the Middle East; and calls upon Her Majesty's Government to put all possible pressure on the Governments of Lebanon, Syria and Iran to ensure that the Israeli redeployment is not seen as an opportunity for attacks on Israeli sovereign territory that would only lead to a renewed escalation, destroying this opportunity of a new era of peace for all the peoples of the region.

Signatures by party: Labour 40, Labour/Co-operative 3, Conservative 2, Liberal Democrat 1, UUP 1.