Over 100 UK lawmakers demanded the government cancel an Israeli real estate event scheduled for London, arguing it facilitates the sale of Palestinian land in occupied West Bank settlements.
The cross-party letter, sent Friday to Foreign Secretary David Lammy, came from 101 parliamentarians and House of Lords members. They characterized the event as integral to "Israel's project of colonial expansion by facilitating the sale of land that has been stolen from Palestinians." The signatories pressed the government to take "all necessary steps" to prevent the gathering.
The event, set for Sunday in London, appeared to advertise the sale of properties in Israeli settlements. International law classifies Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank as illegal under the Fourth Geneva Convention, though Israel disputes this designation.
The intervention reflects growing pressure on the UK government over its position on Israeli settlement expansion. Labour's government under Prime Minister Keir Starmer has previously indicated opposition to settlements while maintaining security ties with Israel. The letter signals Parliament's appetite to push harder on the issue, particularly as the conflict in Gaza continues.
Settlement expansion remains a flashpoint in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. The International Court of Justice in recent months examined whether Israel's policies constitute genocide, adding legal scrutiny to settlement activity. The event in London underscores how settlement commerce extends into Western capitals, prompting lawmakers to view it as material support for disputed territorial claims.
The letter's breadth across party lines, including Conservative, Labour, and Liberal Democrat MPs, demonstrates the issue transcends typical partisan divides in Westminster. Government response to the demand will test whether Starmer's administration takes concrete steps to oppose settlements or whether it balances this position against its diplomatic relationship with Israel.
The real estate event's visibility in a Western capital proved significant enough to trigger parliamentary action, suggesting lawmakers view such commercial activity as legitimizing expansion they consider contrary to international law and Palestinian rights.