The foreign secretary has presented his five conditions for a sustainable ceasefire and a Palestinian state.
Speaking at Jewish Care’s annual Topland Group business lunch, David Cameron said that he would like to see “ a pause when you get the hostages out”, adding: “I think the real task is to turn that pause into a sustainable ceasefire without a return to fighting.”
This would only be possible if five conditions were fulfilled, he said. Aside from the release of all the hostages, Cameron called for “the dismantling of the terror machine in Gaza [and] the removal of the Hamas leadership, including those responsible for October 7 – either surrendering or leaving – going to another country.”
The former prime minister said a new Palestinian government would need to be put in place, appointed by the Palestinian authority. “With technocrats, you can start delivering things for people on the ground for the people in Gaza and the West Bank.”
Lord Cameron added that “more controversially, particularly here, is a horizon towards a future for the Palestinians, not involving Hamas that would involve, over time, a Palestinian state.”
In an interview with JC journalist Daniel Finkelstein, he told the 1,000 business leaders: "If you could bring forward those five things and have massive momentum behind putting them in place, there is some chance you might be able to go from pause to ceasefire without a return to fighting.
"Effectively, you would be getting the remnants of Hamas leadership out through a peaceful process rather than a fighting process.”
The secretary of state added that if it didn’t work “Israel will have every right to say: ‘Well that hasn’t worked. We can’t live with Hamas leadership still running Gaza, we’ll go back in and finish the job.”
Jewish Care'sTopland Group business lunch with guest speakers The Rt Hon.Lord Cameron and Lord Finkelstein OBE (Grainge Photography)
The lunch raised a record-breaking figure of £440,000 for Jewish Care’s services in London and the south-east.
The funds raised will help to support the charity, which touches the lives of 10,000 people each week.
Lord Cameron said: “The UK must be a place that the Jewish community can feel safe, which is why the work that organisations such as Jewish Care do to support older people is so vital. Right now and always.”
Jewish Care president, Steven Lewis, told guests: “This year has been an incredibly difficult time for the community. For our Holocaust survivors it’s been particularly devastating — never again did they think they would witness some of what we are witnessing. For them, we’ve become a safe haven — where they can proudly be Jewish...and can feel safe.”
Topland Group business lunch chairman, David Pollock said: “Most of Jewish Care’s services receive no government funding, and the cost to provide care services has significantly increased.
"It is the support from our guests today and from the community and beyond that will really enable Jewish Care to continue to meet the needs of our community.”
The Philip Greenwold Award winners Amanda Barbanel (left) and Jacqueline Harris with Mark Kingston from Topland at the Jewish Care Topland business lunch (Grainge Photography)
The Philip Greenwold Award, given to an outstanding individual or group who have made a significant contribution to others, was presented to two teachers, Amanda Barbanel and Jacqueline Harris, co-founders of the charity, Give. Help. Share, which makes an impact on food insecurity.
Daniel Carmel-Brown, Jewish Care CEO, said afterwards: “With costs rising by £1 million in the last year, we need to raise nearly £17 million each year to keep all of our vital services going, and [this] support will help us to continue to look after the thousands of people in our community who rely on Jewish Care every day.”
