The terrible bombing in Haifa on Wednesday is a savage ending of two months in which there have been no suicide bombings within Israel. Until then, there had not been a single suicide attack since January 5 and not one Israeli civilian had been killed within Israel since January 12. In the same period, Israel has killed over 154 Palestinians. In February alone, Israel killed 79 and to date over 29 Palestinians have been killed in March.

What message did this deliver to Palestinians? Would Israeli security have been better served by resuming the peace process and offering hope to the Palestinians, instead of continuing to use lethal force against them?

Since the intifada began in September 2000, Israel has insisted there has to be a period of calm and an end to terror attacks in Israel before it is prepared to resume peace negotiations. Why did Ariel Sharon and the international community miss this opportunity to restart the peace process? In this period, Palestinians have made real progress in implementing the reforms demanded of them, including promising to appoint a new prime minister.

In return Israel refuses to resume peace negotiations and continues to impose the collective punishments of curfew, closure and house demolitions on the civilian population. Nablus has been under curfew for 4,208 hours since June 18 2002. This has all led to a catastrophic humanitarian crisis for Palestinians. Almost 75% of Palestinians now live below the poverty line and over 30% of children under five suffer from chronic malnutrition.

A possible war with Iraq is no excuse to delay the peace process or to allow Ariel Sharon to deepen the occupation by military onslaughts and the expansion of illegal settlements, all in violation of security council resolutions. There is surely a moral imperative for the US and UK to make resolving this conflict a priority for themselves and the UN. They must insist that Israel adhere to its obligations under the Geneva conventions and UN resolutions. A viable and sovereign Palestinian state living in peace and security with Israel is the key to solving the longstanding problems in the Middle East.

John Austin MP Joint Chair Council for the Advancement of Arab British Understanding

Colin Breed Liberal Democrat Defence Spokesman, CAABU Executive

Robert Key Shadow Minister for International Development

Rt Hon Nicholas Soames MP Chairman of the Conservative Middle East Council

Dr Jenny Tonge MP Liberal Democrat International Development Spokesman

Robert Jackson MP Joint Chair - CAABU

Angus Robertson MP Shadow Scottish Minister for Foreign Affairs

Richard Burden MP Chair of All-Party Britain Palestine Group

David Chidgley MP Foreign Affairs Select Committee

Jean Corsten MP Chair of Parliamentary Labour Party

Ann Clwyd Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Human Rights Group

Crispin Blunt MP Secretary, Conservative Middle East Council

Ernie Ross MP Chair, Labour Middle East Party

Simon Thomas MP Plaid Cymru Parliamentary Whip

David Atkinson MP

Hugh Bayley MP

Roger Berry MP

Peter Bottomley MP

Alistair Carmichael MP

Harry Cohen MP

Frank Cook MP

John Cryer MP

Hilton Dawson MP

Janet Dean MP

Paul Farrelly MP

Dr Hywel Francis MP

Andrew George MP

Neil Gerrard MP

Dr Ian Gibson MP

Patrick Hall MP

David Hamilton MP

Jim Knight MP

Andrew Love MP

Iain Luke MP

Dr Lynne Jones MP

Peter Kilfoyle MP

Bob Laxton MP

Martin O'Neill MP

James Plaskitt MP

Greg Pope MP

Gordon Prentice MP

Ernie Ross MP

Christine Russell MP

Jonathon Shaw MP

Howard Stoate MP

Brian White MP

Hwyell Williams MP

Tony Wright MP

Derek Wyatt MP

Lord Redesdale

Lord Phillips of Sudbury