Nigel Bellingham

It is easy for certain governments to stand by and condemn Iranian actions. But that solves nothing. Nor does the familiar policy of defending Israel come what may. Instead we have to address the real cause of the present crisis. That means facing the undeniable reality that it is only by ending Israel's illegal occupation of Palestine that we can hope to restore peace to the region. Anyone who believes we can achieve peace by other means – by containing Iran, by eliminating Hamas, by defeating Hezbollah, or by steadfast political, military and financial support for Israel – is either deluded, naive or deliberately trying to avoid the truth.     The truth in this situation is hard to bear. For too long many western governments have postponed reckoning with this reality and failed to guarantee the Palestinian people the security and stability that only statehood can provide. The rights and lives of Palestinian people under occupation have been progressively eroded by the expansion of illegal settlements and the imposition of an apartheid regime. Supporters of Israel speak in the name of international law while they repeatedly prevent its implementation in the case of Palestine. This must change now.  Respect for international law must be genuine not by words but by taking action. Israel must be required to suspend its military operations in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon. This should by followed by collective international action to end Israel's illegal occupation of Palestine. A fully sovereign Palestinian state must be established, backed not just by the letter of the law but by all the institutional and organisational resources of the international community.