Initially, the Conservative Party did not call for a ceasefire, repeating the line of “Israel has a right to defend itself”. They are now calling for humanitarian pauses to “let aid in” and have said that they support a ‘sustainable ceasefire’, but will not restore the UK’s UNRWA future funding until the investigations are complete.
They have also said that there should be no ‘forced displacement’ from Gaza and reaffirm the international law position that Gaza is Occupied Palestinian Territory and will be part of a future Palestinian state.
The post conflict priorities include establishing a ‘credible and irreversible pathway towards a two-state solution’, ensuring that Hamas is not in control of Gaza.
They also condemn the violence in the West Bank from violent Israeli settlers and the UK government has placed sanctions on settlers and settler groups.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak considers the South Africa case at the ICJ as “unhelpful” and “unjustified”. Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden also said that “the Conservative government would defy an arrest warrant issued by the ICC for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if re-elected in July.” The government has also criticised the ICC for implying that there is an equivalence between Israeli leaders and Hamas leaders.
The Conservatives also introduced the Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill, also known as the “Boycott Bill”. This bill makes the provision to prevent public bodies from being influenced by political or moral disapproval of foreign states when taking certain economic decisions. This bill passed its third reading in the House of Commons, but as it has failed to pass parliament before the upcoming election, it is highly unlikely that it will come into law.
The Conservatives believe in the recognition of Palestinian statehood alongside a “safe and secure” Israel “when the time is right” and when judged to ‘best serve the objective of peace’.