Jenny Tonge Webchat: Wednesday 18 February 2004
After her controversial comments (that resulted in her sacking from the Liberal Democrat front bench) Jenny Tonge travelled to the Middle East on our invitation to meet both sides in the long-running dispute.
Read Jenny Tonge's diary and extended interviews from her trip to the West Bank.
Jenny Tonge |
The webchat has now finished but you can read the questions and answers below.
Thank you all for your questions and please everyone, whichever side of the argument you are on, keep this debate going in any way you can until we get peace in the Middle East. It is crucial for the future of our children and grandchildren. I have had around 7,000 emails and letters on this subject in the last few weeks and I apologise to anyone who has not yet received a reply. I have one full-time member of staff and one volunteer in my office trying to deal with them, but thank you all for sending them.
Jenny Tonge
Name: David Rose Question: Does she understand suicide bombing in other places apart from Israel such as Iraq where british soldiers trying to set up a democracy are killed in this way or are these suicide bombings different? Are they borne out of despair? Are they justified.?
Answer: I think they are born out of resistance to an occupying force. In different areas, different reasons may apply.
Name: AGQuestion: Do you believe that the real fear of the Palestinian extremists is the 鈥2 State Solution鈥 itself? Is it their abject hatred of Israel per se that drives the extremists to bomb Israel away from the negotiating table?
Answer: No, I do not. There seems to be widespread acceptance now that Israel has a right to exist.
Name: Mike StephensQuestion: Do you think the Israeli government is serious about peace or is their hidden agenda the expulsion of the Palestinians, the colonisation of the Occupied Territories and the securing of their water resources? Is there evidence of the Israeli government prolonging the conflict to give cause and justification for their wholesale treatment of the Palestinians and the building of security fences and walls within the Palestinian territories.
Answer: I think this argument carries some weight. One of the aspects of it that concerns me most is the availability of water supplies. It has been said that "water" will be the "oil" of the 21st century and is going to cause conflict. One example I saw last week - in Bethlehem they get clean piped water once a week via Israel. In the illegal Israeli settlements which surround Bethlehem they not only have hot and cold running water at all times, but many houses have swimming pools and it is alleged out there that the security wall is deviating from the "green line" to enclose aquifers and secure water supply for Israel. This needs much more investigation.
Name: Myrna CarlebachQuestion: How would you have felt as a Jewish grandmother who had escaped the Nazis at the age of fourteen , having had both your parents and three little sisters murdered coldbloodedly, had survived all Israel's wars , had your husband, sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters serve in the army, always in danger of being killed, and sent your young granddaughter to the market and heard and felt the reverberations of an almighty explosion? would you think you"Have to live with it" or would you be desperate to protect the rest of your family?
Answer: I would be desperate to protect the rest of my family, of course I would. It is just that I think the actions of the Sharon government are making the situation worse and endangering the security of Israeli citizens.
Name: J.P. Butler (Revd.) Chaplain Question: "The Wall is an abomination", Gerald Kaufmann says. It is a crime of the 21st century as it follows no border but steals Palestinian land, destroys their farms and economy, divides families and separates Palestinians from hospitals, clinics and other support services creating a ghetto. It will increase violence rather than lessen it. If it divided black and white Israel would be unanimously condemned as a pariah state and international sanctions imposed. Should the UN consider this? and should UN inspectors be sent in to inspect Israel's nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction?
Answer: I entirely agree with what Gerald Kauffman says, he was at a meeting where I made my original comments and was calling for UN sanctions against Israel. Some of us cannot understand the double standards which mean that Bush and Blair invade one country for not obeying UN resolutions but allow another country to take no notice at all and continue to oppress its neighbour.
Name: Richard Bianco Question: Would she not have used her empathy to a better end by suggesting that Grannies of both sides of the divide unite, form a peace movement to try and counter the process that allows anyone to think that suicide bombing innocent civilians will gain the result that is desired by all?
Answer: As a matter of fact, while I was out there, I was discussing with one mother (not grandmother sadly) ways of contacting the other side and making attempts at understanding each other's bereavements. The mothers of suicide bombers are just as desperately bereaved as the mothers of their victims.
Name: Dr Jack Priestley Question: Which now concerns you the most - the desperate situation in Israel/Palestine or the sheer inability of politicians in the West, to be able to distinguish between empathy for, and approval of, desperate situations such as Palestinian suicide bombers?
Answer: Both equally, I guess. I am saddened by the fact that whenever anyone speaks truthfully trying to reflect exactly how they feel about a situation, it is immediately willfully misinterpreted. If we want politicians to be interesting and honest, we have got to discourage those parts of the media who try to destroy us when we are.
Name: Peter Vousden Question: How much do you think susicide bombers are motivated by religious indoctrinatiion of promises of instant eternal rewards for killing enemies of Islam? For this is the claim of Muslim clerics.
Answer: I think there is an element of religious indocrination here, I do not deny that. But I think the actions of suicide bombers are more to do with a desperate despair and a desire to resist the occupation of their country. We must remember that the Palestinians have no army, in fact someone said to me while I was there that they would stop using suicide bombers if the USA would give them tanks, helicopter gunships and fighter aircraft. Suicide bombers are a last resort.
Name: Kevin Boddrell Question: Jenny, do you think it is time for the EU to go out on its own and place severe economic sanctions on Israel, to force them to comply with outstanding UN resolutions - like our friend Saddam Hussein?
Answer: Yes, I do. In an article in The Guardian newspaper on Friday 13 February, our Foreign Affairs spokesman Menzies Campbell called for precisely this. We want to see a suspension of the EU Israeli trade agreements to put pressure on the Sharon government to change its policies towards Palestine. It is no good waiting for the USA - there is too much vested interest in the Bush administration to hope for any action now. This is a chance for the EU to really flex its muscles and show it means business.
Name: DOC; Sirhowy. Question: Israel and the West pay far more towards the welfare of the Palestinians than the entire Arab world with it's immense petrodollar wealth. The Palestinians proportionately receive far more financial aid than any other ethnic group, yet it seems that it is only their leaders who prosper. What are Jenny Tonge's views on the corruption of the Palestinian leadership
Answer: I make no secret of the fact that the Palestinian leadership has a lot to answer for. The contrast between the advanced western society of Israel and the Thirld World conditions in Palestine simply do not back up what you say. Israel has received huge financial support from the USA ever since the country was founded. The Palestinians in comparison have received very little and many of the projects built with European aid for example, have been bulldozed by the Israeli army.
Name: Myer HeilpernQuestion: The most striking thing about the discusiions that Jennie had with Israelis and Palestininas is the unconcelaed hatred that the palestininas show and the unconcealed lack of hatred that the Israelis show. Doesnt that just about sum up teh whole proble. The Palestinians hate the Israelis.
Answer: I'm sorry, I simply did not get that impression. I think on both sides there is hatred but on both sides there are signs of understanding one another and wanting peace. Paranoia will get us nowhere.
Name: Paul PhillipsQuestion: When Israel took over the West Bank from the Jordanians - The Israelis made vast improvements to the water, sewerage, power and road infrastructure. They permitted the setting up of Universities and handed over the administration of most of the population to the Palestinian Authority.. The Palestinians had every opportunity to build their own country as the Israelis have done. They chose instead, encouraged by well meaning but naive 'supporters' like Ms Tonge, to reject the Oslo process and embark on a new terrorist campaign. Is Ms Tonge really surprised that international investors are not rushing to put money into Gaza?
Answer: Are you talking about the West Bank, or Gaza? I have never denied that huge mistakes have been made by the Palestinian leadership. But we have to deal with the here and now and the destruction of the West Bank and Gaza is now being done by the Israeli army. And to deny Palestinians essentials like clean water is not going to help the situation. We have to start where we are now and not keep harking back to the past.
Name: Dina TurnerQuestion: Do you think that if Israelis were to go to the West Bank or Gaza and see the suffering of the Palestinians, they may understand the reasons behind suicide bombings and realise that the illegal occupation plays a big part in Palestinian despair? Or did you get a sense that Israelis would prefer not to see and not to know? Many thanks.
Answer: I think that's a very interesting point. We mustn't forget that there are many Israelis who are appalled at the policies of their government and have huge sympathy for the Palestinians. However, you are quite right. Most of them live in a wonderful modern society with every amenity and luxury and never go near the West Bank, let alone the Gaza Strip which is the breeding ground for terrorists.
Name: Katie SteeleQuestion: 1. How does Ms Tonge feel about her dismissal, and Charles Kennedy's justification? 2. Has her experience in the Middle East led her to be more, or less hopeful, of a possible settlement?
Answer: I totally supported Charles Kennedy in what he had to do in reaction to the tabloids interpretation of what I said. He had to distance the party as a whole from support for terrorists. However, the party has always said that the Middle East peace process is a much more important issue in the world today than even going to war with Iraq. Our foreign affairs spokesman Menzies Campbell has recently called for a suspension of the EU Israeli trade agreements to put pressure on the Sharon government.
Name: David Tong (no relation)Question: Would you still support the palestinians if they started a suicide bombing campaign in oxford street? or within your own constituency?
Answer: I like your surname and yes, we are not related! Support for the Palestinians and what they do is not the same as understanding why they do it. What I am trying to do is understand and if I was attacked I would still try to understand why it had happened.
Name: John AllisonQuestion: Your remarks and your visit to Israel showed a great deal of courage, and the reports were very moving. Will you be doing anything to follow this up, to make some contribution towards reconciliation of the two sides?
Answer: Thank you. My main purpose is to raise the issue of the Middle East in all political forums. And also to get the media to discuss the issues regularly. We were promised progress on the roadmap as a result of supporting Tony Blair's war on Iraq. He has not mentioned the Middle East since that adventure. That is disgraceful. It is key to peace in the world.
