Hague: US must lead Mideast effort

There is a "clear need" for the US to spearhead an effort to revive the Middle East peace process, the UK Foreign Secretary has said. William Hague told MPs in the House of Commons Tuesday that US Secretary of State John Kerry was "fully seized of the importance and the urgency" of improving the prospects for a two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Hague stressed the starting point for negotiations had to be a "common political will." Time for a such a solution, he warned, was "slipping away" but had "not yet gone." He said: "There is a clear need for the United States to lead an effort to revive the peace process. "This was top of the agenda of my recent discussions with Secretary Kerry and I welcome the focus that he has brought to bear on this issue since his appointment. We will make every effort to mobilise European and Arab states behind decisive moves for peace." He added: "I think across the House all of us have commented very clearly about illegal settlement building on occupied land, but I think the starting point for negotiations has to be a common political will. "That needs to be there in Israel where a new Government is being formed, it needs to be there among Palestinians who continue to discuss reconciliation among each other. "So the true starting point is a common willingness to enter again into negotiations and develop the Middle East peace process with the leadership of the US but with the support of us all." The opposition Labour MP Ian Mearns asked what the Foreign Secretary would do to try to get some "sense of reality amongst the Israeli authorities to stop this illegal and unlawful theft of Palestinian land that can only hinder the search for a two-state solution." Hague replied: "Such actions do hinder the search for a two-state solution and our condemnation of illegal settlement building and of demolitions on occupied land has been very clear, as I say across the House." Hague said time for an agreed two-state solution was slipping away partly because of changing facts on the ground. "That's the urgency of it and I believe that Secretary Kerry in all the discussions I've had with him so far is fully seized of the importance and the urgency of this issue." Hague said the UK would support American efforts as President Barack Obama due in the Israel in three weeks time.