UK MPs urge cancellation of London event selling Israeli settlement land

Key facts

• Nearly 100 British MPs and peers are calling for the cancellation of the 'Great Israeli Real Estate Event' in London.
• The event is scheduled to advertise and facilitate the sale of land in illegal Israeli settlements.
• The letter warns the UK could be implicated in international war crimes by allowing the event.
• The event's location is being kept secret.
• London Mayor Sadiq Khan has condemned attempts to sell property in West Bank settlements.

Nearly 100 British MPs and peers have signed a letter urging the government to cancel the upcoming 'Great Israeli Real Estate Event' in London. The event is scheduled to advertise and facilitate the sale of land in illegal Israeli settlements, which the signatories warn could implicate the UK in international war crimes.

Published on X by Andy McDonald, MP for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East, the statement calls on the UK government to uphold its obligations under international law and take action against Israel's occupation of Palestine. The letter, sent to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, describes the event as part of Israel's "colonial expansion" by enabling the sale of land seized from displaced Palestinians, while denying Palestinian refugees their right of return.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has also condemned any attempt to sell property in West Bank settlements. Legal groups have reportedly asked the Metropolitan Police to investigate whether the event can be blocked under a Serious Crime Prevention Order. Previous investigations by Middle East Eye have linked the event to companies involved in illegal settlements, including Harey Zahav and The Meshulam Levinstein Group, which have advertised or built properties in settlements in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem.

Prominent politicians, including Green Party leader Zack Polanski and Your Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, have publicly stated the event should be banned. Amnesty International UK has also urged the government to take immediate action to prevent the event from proceeding on UK soil, citing its recent report on Israel's expansion of settlements and increased funding for them.