Written question asked by Lord Austin of Dudley (Labour) on Monday, 13 November 2017, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 16 November 2017 (named day). It was answered by Alistair Burt (Conservative) on Thursday, 16 November 2017 on behalf of the Department for International Development.

Palestinians: Cartoons

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with reference to the memorandum of understanding between the Palestinian Authority and her Department, what discussions her Department has had with the Palestinian Authority as a result of the publication of cartoons showing the UK Prime Minister (a) with a pig's snout and carrying a Star of David and (b) drinking a glass of Palestinian blood, published on a Fatah Facebook page on 2 November 2017 and in the Palestinian Authority's official daily newspaper, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida on 1 November 2017 respectively.

Answer: Our partnership with the Palestinian Authority includes a commitment from the Palestinian leadership to adhere to the principle of non-violence and to tackle language and avoid actions that could incite violence or hatred. The UK continues to urge the Palestinian leadership to uphold this principle. The UK Government deplores any act of incitement to violence; I raised the issue of incitement with senior Palestinian counterparts during my visit to the region in August.

Secondary information