The UK's Foreign Affairs Committee held an evidence session hearing involving, among others, an Israeli opposition politician, as part of its inquiry into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The committee, which took place on Tuesday, heard from Yesh Atid MK Shelly Tal Meron, the legal director of UK Lawyers for Israel, Natasha Hausdorff, and British journalist Jonathan Sacerdoti.
Meron has said in the past that the Israeli government’s failure to plan for the “day after” the Gaza war ends was a “huge strategic mistake”.
The committee, chaired by MP Emily Thornberry, asked Meron if there was "a route to the day after the war that doesn't involve the deaths of 100,000s more Palestinians?"
Meron replied that the top priority is the return of the 59 hostages, and that mapping out a plan for the day after would not be possible without this. She added that the war also cannot end with Hamas still in power, or without Israel ensuring it has protected its own national security.
Nevertheless, Meron said she was not naïve in thinking an ideology can be defeated, referring to Hamas.
"October 7 massacre pulled us further away from the two-state solution," she told the committee. "It doesn't mean it won't happen, it means we need to solve the problem of the day after in Gaza in order to start progressing with a solution that will bring us eventually to the two-state solution."
"We need to free the Gaza Strip from Hamas, and, at the moment, it would be very difficult for the Palestinian Authority to control the Gaza Strip; that's not very realistic."
Meron hoped, however, that one day, together with moderate Arab countries, as well as the UK, France, and the US, there would be the creation of a new entity in Gaza, ensuring peace for both peoples.
International Humanitarian Law
The committee also called on barrister Natasha Hausdorff as a witness, who serves as UKLFI's legal director.
When asked about how she saw the future of Israel in ten years, Hausdoff told Thornberry that she had a positive outlook, but was concerned about the "international legal war against Israel and the weaponization of international law which poses a significant threat."
Thornberry interrupted her to ask what she saw for the future of Palestinians, to which Hausdorff replied that it "ultimately depends on whether the international community continues down the tried and tested mechanism of encouraging extremism among Palestinian terrorist groups."
"Unless the two driving factors of the worsening situation for the Palestinians – namely indoctrination to terror and incentivization to terror – are addressed and until international complicity in those issues and the perpetuation of the conflict through that is addressed my projection or my hopes for a similar positive reality [for Palestinians] are less optimistic."
"The future of any Palestinian in Gaza ultimately depends on whether or not Hamas is defeated," she added.
Thornberry asked Hausdorff to speak several times on what she thought would be the "optimistic positive future for a Palestinian mother."
After Hausdorff answered, Thornberry said, "The public will have heard your answers to my questions and will decide themselves whether you answered it."
Hausdorff was interrupted on multiple occasions by Thornberry and other members of the committee.
While saying "the UK government and the US government have consistently said they do not have concerns about Israel's approach to international humanitarian law so far as targeting," Thornberry cut her off, saying "no, that is that's an extraordinary allegation."
When Hausdorff attempted to finish answering, Thornberry interjected with "Be careful what you're saying."
Hausdorff responded, "I beg your pardon. I've come here in good faith to answer questions, and from the moment I walked in the room, I've been barraged and told to be quiet when I've been trying to answer questions.
She then asked to continue her answer with the permission of Thornberry, who said, "Please answer this question accurately."
Belief in peace
Asked what he thought would be an ideal situation for Gaza in ten years, Sacerdoti said it would be the "elimination of forces in Gaza that are committed to genocidal acts on Israel and Jews."
"A Gaza which is meaningfully deradicalized, a Gaza which sees education of its population towards peace and coexistence, a Gaza that is demilitarized, a Gaza that doesn't just say that it has the intention not to murder and kill Jews, but that has no ability to do so."
"I think that, right now, after the atrocities of October 7, much of the traditionally left peace camp has really been massively disillusioned."
"The opinion of much of Israeli society has changed drastically over the last 18 months. Many who were of the tendency to give land in return for peace have found themselves disillusioned."
When asked by Abitsam Mohamed whether that justified "violent settlers," Sacerdoti countered that he was not trying to justify anything, merely give an analysis of the situation.
She later asked him if the UK government should do more to prevent Israel's "expansion of settlements."
He said the UK government should very much focus on the cause of Israeli actions, which is to "build confidence on their part that their security won't be overlooked."
