Written question asked by Baroness Tonge (Non-affiliated) on Tuesday, 5 January 2021, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 19 January 2021. It was answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Conservative) on Tuesday, 19 January 2021 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

West Bank: Olives

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that olive trees are being destroyed by Israeli settlers in the West Bank.

Answer: We are aware of the difficulties facing Palestinian olive growers. Attacks on olive groves are particularly painful to Palestinians given their status as a national symbol and the sole source of income for many Palestinian farmers. We have expressed our concerns to the Government of Israel and security officials about the destruction of olive trees and the prevention of access to them on a number of occasions. The UK condemns any incidence of violence by settlers against Palestinians. We continue to stress the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population. We urge them to thoroughly investigate every instance and bring those responsible to justice.

Secondary information