RAMALLAH, July 27 (JMCC) - British Prime Minister David Cameron during a visit to Turkey, likened life for Palestinians in Gaza to that of being in a “prison camp”. The comment marks the Prime Minister’s strongest intervention yet in the Israel – Palestine conflict.
Although he has made similar remarks before, his decision to repeat them on a world stage in Turkey, whose relations with Israel have deteriorated sharply since it mounted a deadly assault on the Gaza flotilla, gave them much greater diplomatic significance.
Cameron's criticism of Tel Aviv came when he called for Israel to relax its restrictions on Gaza. The situation in Gaza has to change, he said. Humanitarian goods and people must flow in both directions. Gaza cannot and must not be allowed to remain a prison camp.
He strongly condemned Israel after the assault on the Gaza flotilla. The Israeli attack on the Gaza flotilla was completely unacceptable, he said. I have told prime minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu we will expect the Israeli inquiry to be swift, transparent and rigorous. Let me also be clear that the situation in Gaza has to change.
After Cameron made his remarks, Ron Prosor, the Israeli ambassador to London, blamed the Palestinians' situation on Hamas, the Islamist regime that controls the Gaza strip. The people of Gaza are the prisoners of the terrorist organisation Hamas. The situation in Gaza is the direct result of Hamas' rule and priorities.
Cameron also used his visit to persuade Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan to use Turkey’s links with Iran. The Prime Minister requested that Turkey use its leverage to convince Teharan to abandon its nuclear weapons programme.
Turkey is to abide by new UN sanctions, agreed last month, which are focused on individuals and companies linked to Iran's nuclear and missile programmes. But it will not implement wider US and EU restrictions on banks, and wants to deepen trade links with Iran.
The prime minister said Turkey's special place, as a bridge between east and west, gave it a key role with Iran. It's Turkey that can help us stop Iran from getting the bomb, he said.
Read more at
The Guardian…