mr president firstly i was delighted to see that no action was taken against members who decided to demonstrate during this vote with their stop the war placards and their palestinian flags
i hope we have now set the precedent that unlike those who demonstrated for a referendum we accept the right to make a peaceful point in a suitable manner as part of the democratic process
like everybody else in this chamber i am of course horrified by what has been happening in the middle east
the losers are not one side or the other but people of good will throughout the region
there are gazan families peaceably trying to bring up their children who are horrified at the hell unleashed on them by the rocket launches
there are israelis who understand that one day an independent palestine will be their neighbour and that actions of this kind are unlikely to make it a benign neighbour
in the current circumstances however nobody wants to listen to such voices
i would just say that i am puzzled by the resolution's insistence on proportionality
i am not sure what proportionality means
would critics of the israeli government be happier if it had rained an equivalent number of rockets randomly on gazan villages
i see your gavel raised so i will simply say that i hope that the cease-fire is quickly negotiated and that we can get back to talking and to finding a peaceful resolution
