Written question asked by Lord Hylton (Crossbench) on Tuesday, 14 January 2020, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 28 January 2020. It was answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Conservative) on Monday, 27 January 2020 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Israel: Palestinians

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about reports of assaults on Palestinian growers, thefts of olives and vandalism of olive trees and farm equipment in 2019.

Answer: We are troubled by reports of assaults on Palestinian farmers, the vandalism of olive trees, and the stealing of produce. The UK condemns any incidence of violence by settlers against Palestinians. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv raised the increase in settler violence with the Israeli authorities on 17 December 2019. Under international law, Israel, as the occupying power, has an obligation to take all measures in its power to protect the Palestinian population from acts of violence. We continue to stress the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population. We welcome the efforts of Israeli authorities to address settler violence, and urge them to thoroughly investigate every instance and bring those responsible to justice.

Secondary information