Written question asked by Lord Hylton (Crossbench) on Thursday, 11 July 2019, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 25 July 2019. It was answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Conservative) on Monday, 22 July 2019 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Jerusalem

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had, if any, with the government of Israel about (1) the demolition of Palestinian properties in East Jerusalem, (2) tunnelling in East Jerusalem, and (3) the activities of the Ateret Cohanim and Elad organisations.

Answer: Our Embassy in Tel Aviv discussed our concerns about the increase in demolitions in East Jerusalem with the Israeli Authorities on 25 June. The nature of these demolitions which took place within an area of the West Bank controlled by the Palestinian Authority is particularly concerning and we continue to monitor the situation closely. We regularly make clear our serious concerns about the situation in East Jerusalem to the Israeli authorities, both bilaterally and in co-operation with EU partners. We are strongly opposed to any attempts to change the facts on the ground in the East Jerusalem. The UK continues to regard Israeli settlements as illegal under international law and an obstacle to peace, and we regularly raise our concerns about settlement activity with the Israeli authorities.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: HL17116
Session: 2017-19
Subjects: Demolition Property Tunnels Israel Palestine Jerusalem Israeli settlements
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk