David Miliband
From AICbackground
David Miliband
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
“Across the range of security challenges this region faces, Saudi Arabia is the critical regional player. Nowhere is this more evident that on the Arab-Israeli conflict. The Arab Peace Initiative—driven forward by then Crown Prince now King Abdullah—was, and still is, one of the most significant and promising developments since the start of the conflict. It showed that there was not just one Arab partner for peace but many partners. And it showed that what we need and what is actually available is not just a 2 state solution, but a 23 state solution—22 members of the Arab League plus Israel.”
“Palestinian hardship and Israeli fear are two sides of the same coin and they need to be addressed together.”
“Palestinian unity is important, but the violence, the killing, the feuding between Hamas and Fatah representatives and supporters has deep roots. I cannot agree...that it is all the fault of the Americans “poisoning the well.” (T)he need for a set of Palestinian institutions that can provide the political basis for proper negotiations are obviously essential. I will certainly discuss those and other issues with Condoleezza Rice, my opposite number, when I visit the United States in due course.”
“ We should deal with the issue of a two state solution between Israel and Palestine because it’s the right thing to do...achieving it would take away one of the issues that is used by those that are committing acts of terrorism--it would take that prop away from them.”
“...of course Palestinians are human beings and should have the same rights as the rest of us. You ask about "reaction": the vast bulk of Palestinian people actually support a two state solution in the Middle East (according to all the polls). We work bilaterally and with the international community to try to guarantee and improve the rights and lives of Palestinians and Israelis--their futures are bound together.”
Early Years and Education
You were born on July 15, 1965 in London where your parents are both Holocaust survivors. You are Jewish and British. You attended Corpus Christi College in Oxford where you received a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. You continued your education at MIT where you got a Master's Degree in Political Science and were a Kennedy Scholar. You have always been involved with politics. You and your brother, Ed Miliband, are the first siblings to ever serve together in the Cabinet. You are currently a member of Parliament and were appointed the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in June 2007 as part of Gordon Brown’s first Cabinet. This position requires you to be responsible for the relations and ties with foreign countries. From May 2006 to June 2007, you were Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Public Life
You are an active public figure. You have given speeches and interviews all across the globe. One of the most important issues in your public career is the environment. You have a great interest in the field of global warming. So much so, that more of your time is spent on the environment and discovering ways to save energy and boost recycling, rather than on matters in Israel, Palestine or elsewhere. You also said of the global warming problem that, “If I had to pick one issue that has the moral and political and economic salience as great as those issues of peace and war in the 1950s and the 1960s, in the 21st century it’s climate and the environment.” You care a great deal about land and want to preserve it. Not just for environmental purposes, but for social and economic ones as well. You've said that "we must continue to preserve and enhance the beauty and accessibility of our countryside for everyone to enjoy – those who live and work there, or who visit.” You are busy investigating how to take energy from waste, boost recycling, and promote a law carbon economy. You stress that improving the environment is not just an individual responsibility, but the whole world must do so as well. “Global warming is the ultimate global problem; it requires a global solution; and we need the UN to be central to that.” You hope to educate the world about global warming and find solutions to these problems.
You care a great deal about bettering the world not just environmentally, but socially and economically as well. You strive for “a more educated society, more conscious of its rights, less deferential to tradition as the basis of social organisation.” You worked to establish a better society by launching the Inaugural Kids Conference. You also help improve the nature of society by being a public advocate of “New Labour”. Your aim is to get more people to work, which you believe is the fundamental goal of the Labour Party.
Domestic Issues of Concern (politcal considerations, who are your allies/opponents, etc.)
You are the youngest foreign secretary since 1977. As a result, you have modern views on the future of the Labour Party. You are a member of the “Primrose Hill Gang,” which is a network of young Labour politicians and advisors. As a result, you feel that there is a huge generational division between this group and the Blairites who are the long standing critics of Gordon Brown. You are on a mission for egalitarianism and are trying to modernize the thinking of the government and public services.
A major platform that you continually find yourself fighting for is Climate Change. You have created a Climate Change pledge card, with the partnerships of the council, energy companies and the Energy Saving Trust, to try to inform people on energy saving techniques and how to help cut energy bills. You feel that this should be a group effort and the entire country should work together to improve climate.
You and your country of Great Britain have strong ties with most of Europe and especially the United States. You've said that “(w)e should be absolutely defiant against those who believe that anti-Americanism is a route to make the world a better place. I don’t believe you can solve any of the world’s big problems without the active engagement of the United States." You are also a strong ally of France. You have economic ties with them, and view many issues similarly to France.
Policies and Beliefs Pertaining to the Middle East
Although you have a Jewish background you are not one-sided in the debate between the Arabs and Israelis. Your approach, one that you hope is adopted by the Arabs and Israelis, is a threefold one. First to remain faithful to the two-state solution. Secondly, to support peacemakers and efforts towards peace. And thirdly, you believe that Arabs and Israelis should engage in an economic, social, and humanitarian agenda by building institutions in Palestine that represent the goals of all Palestinians. You also think it is important to continue the quartet approach. Overall, you are committed to a peaceful process in the Middle East: “I very much hope Abas and Prime Minister will look at the aspirations of all Palestinian people.”
On the war in Palestine you said, “It is now 40 years since the passage of UN Resolution 242, which is the basis of the two state solution - Israel safe within its borders, a viable Palestinian state next door - that is the foundation of British policy. We will work with all those committed to peaceful means to achieve this goal, and in the short term support economic and humanitarian assistance through the Abbas/Fayyad government to help Palestinians. We do not support the settlements policy. Palestinian hardship and Israeli fear are two sides of the same coin and they need to be addressed together.” Overall, you hope to see peace in the Middle East, without terrorism used.
Role-Playing Notes (what’s important to you, what kind of person are you, how much independence do you have, etc.)
As a Council member on foreign relations you are liberal minded and highly critical of the Bush Administration’s policy in Iraq. Above all, you are an ideas man, starting out at the leftwing Institute of Public Policy Research's think-tank, and then becoming Tony Blair's head of foreign policy. You are outwardly against terrorism and acts of such violence. You said in a speech on this topic: “Supporting terrorist groups, whether in Iraq or Lebanon, is not responsible behavior and it is right that we make our view clear.”
Annotated List of References:
http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page7463.asp
http://www.davidmiliband.info/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6897313.stm
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b9b5b078-2d57-11dc-939b-0000779fd2ac.html
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/gordonbrown/story/0,,2113950,00.htm
