Earlier today the Conservative peer and former First Minister of Northern Ireland, Baron Trimble, launched a paper entitled Misunderstanding Ulster. Published by Conservative Friends of Israel, the paper warns against learning the wrong lessons from the NI peace process- a process for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
David Trimble is particularly concerned at the ways in which certain individuals are reading the process. Former Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain has said dialogue with the most intractable of people and without conditions was one lesson of the process. David Trimble strongly disagrees with that conclusion. The NI process, he states, was based on clear preconditions - established in Article IX of the 1993 Downing Street Declaration. Parties to talks about NI's future had to commit to non-violence and to exclusively peaceful means.
Lord Trimble believes that it is perfectly legitimate for Israel to insist that Hamas must first sign up to the principles of The Quartet before any negotiations are possible. Those principles are recognition of Israel, repudiation of violence and recognition of past agreements.
The former leader of the UUP fears that Hamas may be more in the frame of mind that the IRA were in the 1970s than became true by the 1990s. In the 1970s the IRA saw the British government as weak and thought they could achieve victory. A 1972 secret offer of unconditional talks by the then Tory Secretary of State for Northern Ireland William Whitelaw confirmed in the IRA's minds that Britain wanted to "surrender". This only emboldened them. A weak Israeli acceptance of unconditional talks may only feed the same feeling within Hamas, Trimble warned.
In a Q&A period, David Trimble (pictured with CFI's James Arbuthnot MP) emphasised the importance of foreign states. The Irish government was faithful to the Downing Street principles, he said, throughout the process. Unfortunately there are too many states in the Middle East who are always ready to give comfort to Hamas.
Conservative MP Michael Ancram has made the case for talking to Hamas in an article for ConservativeHome.
Download a PDF of Misundertanding Ulster.
PS The image on the cover of Misunderstanding Ulster is a real photograph from Northern Ireland. In the 1970s the IRA became political allies of the PLO and loyalist areas started, in reaction, to fly the Israeli flag alongside their own patriotic colours.
4.25pm: Melanie Phillips has written about Lord Trimble's paper here.
To my way of thinking no Democratic nation or state should have anything to do with hamas until they acknowledge the right of Israel to exist.
That the European Union continues to funnel vast amounts of money to the 'palestinian authority' is to its enduring shame - if there is one thing Britain's MEPs should be lobbying for it is stopping this sick EU funding of an avowedly terrorist organisation.
Posted by: Tanuki | October 24, 2007 at 16:48
The British political establishment has always conciliated terror, when its onw skin was at risk. Tony Blair was simply the latest example, and the Israelis know this. The Tories are every bit as bad: Chamberlain thought that he could do business with Herr Hitler and the late Lord Gilmour was, according to the obituary columns, an admirer of Robert Mugabe.
Posted by: Michael McGowan | October 24, 2007 at 17:00
As an Ulsterman I'm embarrassed to see that, assuming that street lamp is in Ulster, those flags are the wrong way round! You put the sovereign national flag top, so unless Israel is laying claim to Ulster it should go Union Flag top, then I guess Ulster flag, then Israel flag below.
Posted by: Simon Newman | October 24, 2007 at 17:51
I'm sure peace in Northern Ireland was helped greatly by the changing political situation in the Irish Republic, with its emergence as a modern liberal-democratic society increasingly disinclined to support the IRA terror campaign. As far as the Middle East goes, things seem to be moving in the opposite direction.
Posted by: Simon Newman | October 24, 2007 at 17:54
Good point Simon.
At this morning's meeting David Trimble made exactly the same point about the order of the flags!
Posted by: Editor | October 24, 2007 at 19:12
"Lord Gilmour was, according to the obituary columns, an admirer of Robert Mugabe".
Not surprised - they were ideological soulmates!
Posted by: Moral minority | October 24, 2007 at 19:24
A major factor in resolving the problems in Ulster stem from the ages of the protagonists. They all faced being by-passed by history and wanted to be involved in the end-game. Neither side in the conflict got what it really wanted.
Posted by: Tony Makara | October 24, 2007 at 22:19
"...it should go Union Flag top, then I guess Ulster flag, then Israel flag below."
No, it absolutely should not: it should be the Union Flag top, the Ulster flag beneath it, and the Israeli flag on another flagpole level with the Union Flag. One sovereign state's flag is not supposed to be flown beneath that of another: the only exception is for victory in war (for which most notably see the pics of the German High Seas Fleet being surrendered at the end of the First World War, flying the Union Flag above the Imperial German tricolour).
Posted by: Dave J | October 25, 2007 at 00:24
Dave J - I sit corrected!
Posted by: Simon Newman | October 25, 2007 at 21:57