12 April 2012
Evening Standard editorial comment

The remark by the Prime Minister's wife that some Palestinian young people felt that they had no choice but to blow themselves up is unfortunate, to say the very least, but it does at least serve to remind us that the desperate situation in the Middle East is high on the diplomatic agenda. In defiance both of the Palestinian suicide bombers and the urgings of Ariel Sharon, President Bush is proceeding with his proposals for the formation of a Palestinian state.

For now, Washington is looking not for solutions but for compromises. Mr Bush's proposals are simply for an interim Palestinian state based upon Ramallah, where the nearobliterated infrastructure of the Palestinian Authority should be able to reconstitute itself sufficiently to take part in continuing negotiations. That ability may be threatened by Israel's latest push into the West Bank. Nevertheless, this initiative is a welcome recognition, first, that the US has no choice but to take the leading role in attempting to solve the Middle East crisis, and second, that any solution must inevitably encompass some form of proper independence for Palestinians. But an interim state is not a permanent one.

The only plan on the table which Ariel Sharon's government is even prepared to discuss would fragment a Palestinian state into small pockets surrounded by Israel, which would have no interconnecting roads and in many cases almost no water. Even if the Palestinians accepted such an impossible settlement - which they would not - negotiations would probably break down over Jerusalem and the right of return for Palestinian refugees.

These horrendous difficulties can perhaps be solved, but not with the present regimes. Yasser Arafat cannot be relied upon to implement anything he agrees to in negotiation; Mr Sharon owns to only one overriding principle, which is that Palestinians are natural terrorists.These two men have been confronting each other for 20 years or more, and neither will give way. President Bush's initiative may at least have the effect of highlighting the intractability of both leaders, and demonstrating that they should be put out to grass for the good of both their peoples.

Be on guard

The Home Secretary plans to revive this excessive and authoritarian measure in the next parliamentary session; he should not be allowed to prevail. The freedoms involved are important ones. Even those of us confident that our records would show nothing wrong, and who support appropriate government action against organised crime and terrorism, should fear such an invasion of privacy.

To allow bureaucrats to snoop unrestricted among private communications is to invite abuse of power, because even democratically elected governments can and do misuse their authority. Outside the courts, it is for Parliament to defend those freedoms. Yet Mr Blair's government has demonstrated contempt for the House of Commons by trying to push these measures through with secondary legislation, debated only by a committee. Such scorn for due parliamentary scrutiny must not be repeated. It is time for freedom's friends, of whatever party, to be on their guard.

Home movie

Ken's poor conduct

Mr Livingstone believes that we published our article for political reasons. He is absolutely wrong; we broadly agree with him on a range of issues. He is equally mistaken that the Evening Standard wants a Tory elected as Mayor; that election is two years away. This matter has nothing to do with policy. It raises serious questions about the personal conduct of the man who as Mayor speaks and acts on behalf of Londoners. Ken's behaviour casts doubt on whether he is fit to hold such high office.

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