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The government has not confirmed if it will share its letter to the UK Justice Minister calling for an "immediate suspension of hostilities" in Gaza with the public.
While the conflict is a matter of significant international attention, Express understands there are no current plans for the correspondence communicating the view of the States Assembly – who represent the public – to be shared with all islanders.
When asked for a copy of the correspondence by Express in the interests of transparency this week, officials said inter-governmental correspondence is not usually released.
In late February, States Members voted overwhelmingly to notify Parliament of their decision to join international calls for an "immediate suspension of hostilities".
The original wording proposed by Deputy Montfort Tadier was amended by External Relations Minister Ian Gorst, with changes including swapping a "permanent ceasefire" for an "immediate suspension of hostilities", and removing references to "potential acts of genocide".
The Minister also removed reference to a "two-state solution" in his amendments, which he said had been problematic "for a number of islanders".
Deputy Tadier said the amendments "watered down" the thrust of his original proposal. The change was also an early cause of friction in the newly formed Council of Ministers, with Housing Minister speaking out against it on social media. Minister Sam Mézec,
The government is yet to give a formal answer to requests from Express to receive a copy of the letter sent to Parliament.
However, a statement provided revealed that the External Relations Minister's letter to the UK Justice Minister responsible for Crown Dependency relations was sent on 13 March, two weeks after the vote, to inform him of the decision the States Assembly had taken.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) were also made aware of the decision, the statement said.
It continued: "The External Relations Minister meets frequently with UK Ministers and Parliamentarians as part of his London engagement programme.
"He will raise international matters in which Jersey has an interest, including the Israel-Gaza conflict and the decision of the States Assembly, where relevant during the course of those discussions."
A response issued last week to a request made under the Freedom of Information Law in relation to the correspondence said that no response has been received, but that "receipt of the letter was confirmed verbally by officers".
Deputy Gorst is due to face the Economic and International Affairs Scrutiny Panel, which is Chaired by Deputy Tadier, tomorrow.
The Israel-Gaza war began when Hamas gunmen carried out an attack on southern Israel on 7 October, killing about 1,200 people and taking 253 hostage.
More than 34,180 people, most of them children and women, have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
In February 2003, the States Assembly debated and approved a proposition by 27 votes to 17, which agreed that the Assembly would oppose the then imminent invasion of Iraq by the British and American armed forces. This required the Bailiff to transmit this view to the UK government.
Deputy Sir Philip Bailhache, who was then Bailiff, wrote to then Lieutenant-Governor Air Chief Marshal Sir John Cheshire KBE CB, requesting the States decision be passed on.
The letter was released in response to a request under the freedom of information law in 2017.
He wrote: "It is the view of the Assembly that no military action should be taken by the governments of the United States of America and the United Kingdom against Iraq unless sanctioned by the United Nations and to request the Bailiff to transmit the view of the Assembly to Her Majesty's Government with a request that the opinion of the States be also forwarded to the government of the United States of America by Her Majesty's Government".
States Members call for "immediate suspension of hostilities" in Gaza
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States Assembly asked to support calls for a ceasefire in Gaza
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