Time to rethink policy on West Bank funding (From Worcester News)

Time to rethink policy on West Bank funding

8:20pm Wednesday 16th February 2011 in Local

MIDDLE EAST MISSION: From left, Kwasi Kwarteng MP; Lord Norman Fowler; Salam Fayyad, Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority; and Robin Walker, MP

THE European Union (EU) needs to rethink its spending strategy in the West Bank, according to Worcester’s MP.

After a four-day trip to the Middle East, Robin Walker said money is being wasted on good projects, such as water wells, because they are regularly being torn down or destroyed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the Israeli-controlled Area C.

Mr Walker said while the UK does not directly spend its aid budget in Area C the money the EU spends there – about €545 million has gone on humanitarian aid to help meet the basic needs of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, as well as Palestinian refugees living in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria since the year 2000 – it does come back to the British taxpayer.

“It’s not a good use of funds,” he said. “We have got to be a bit cleverer about making sure the money being spent is in the right places.

“I think the important thing I can do off the back of this is ask questions of the government about what they are doing with the aid programme.”

Mr Walker said his trip, which was funded by the Conservative Middle East Council, was a real eye-opener as he got to meet Salam Fayyad, the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, and Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Danny Ayalon, among other politicians, national government organisations, human rights groups, diplomats, and even local business people.

Mr Walker said there are encouraging signs the security situation is getting better while the Palestinians are having some success developing their economy.

Mr Walker said while it could be very easy to get outraged about the conflict he thought it is more important to provide practical support to people.

He also feels the trip has helped him learn about the complexity of the conflict.

“By getting a greater understanding I am able to ask more insightful questions rather than making statements and taking sides,” he said.

“This is a situation that’s not going away and will be around for many years to come.”

Meanwhile, Mr Walker said the ever-changing situation in Egypt has created “a nervousness on both sides” for Israelis and Palestinians and that he came away with a message that the UK needs to tread carefully about the noises it makes.