Key facts
- An Israeli real estate event in London advertised properties in illegal West Bank settlements.
- Over 100 UK lawmakers urged the government to cancel the event, citing international law and the facilitation of colonial expansion.
- MP Ellie Chowns questioned the government's failure to prevent the marketing of illegal settlements on UK soil.
- Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper stated that such activities are unacceptable on UK territory.
- London's Metropolitan Police are not investigating the event.
- The Advertising Standards Authority has been asked to investigate.
British MP Ellie Chowns of the Green Party has questioned the UK government's stance on an Israeli real estate event held in London that reportedly marketed properties in illegal West Bank settlements. Chowns criticized the government's failure to prevent such activities on UK soil, asking for a ban on trade with illegal settlements.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper responded by stating that the government has been clear that businesses should not engage in trade or marketing related to illegal settlements, especially not on British territory. This statement comes amidst broader concerns raised by over 100 UK lawmakers who had previously called for the cancellation of the event. In a letter to Cooper, these parliamentarians warned that the event was "firmly embedded in Israel’s project of colonial expansion" and urged the government to take all necessary steps to halt it, asserting that allowing it would contradict UK guidance and international law.
Concerns were also voiced by London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who discussed the event with the Metropolitan Police. However, the Met Police have confirmed they are not investigating the event, although they have received referrals related to the Israel-Hamas conflict. The event, described as an international roadshow, had previously advertised properties in areas like Gush Etzion, which the UK government considers an illegal settlement. Organizers have denied these claims, stating all exhibitors would provide information about properties within the Green Line. The website's mention of Gush Etzion was removed after public concerns were raised. The event also coincides with a period of heightened settler violence in the West Bank and a call by Western countries for an end to settlement construction.