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To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that the government of Israel is planning to remove 37 Palestinian households from the Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan areas of East Jerusalem; and what action are they taking, both unilaterally and multilaterally, to prevent any such removals.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that the government of Israel is planning to remove 37 Palestinian households from the Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan areas of East Jerusalem; and what action are they taking, both unilaterally and multilaterally, to prevent any such removals.
We regularly make clear our concerns about the evictions of Palestinians from their homes in East Jerusalem to the Israeli authorities and the Municipality of Jerusalem, both bilaterally and in co-operation with like-minded diplomatic partners. The Fourth Geneva Convention, which applies to all occupied territories, including East Jerusalem, prohibits demolitions or forced evictions absent military necessity.
The UK Ambassador in Tel Aviv raised ongoing demolitions with the Israeli Authorities in a meeting alongside like-minded partners on 25 February 2021. The Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa raised the issue of evictions of Palestinians from their homes, with the Israeli Ambassador to the UK on 29 October 2020, and the British Embassy in Tel Aviv raises this issue regularly with the Israeli authorities. UK officials from the British Consulate in Jerusalem have made regular visits to areas at risk of demolition and eviction to reiterate UK support for those communities. On 25 November 2020, the UK Consul General Jerusalem visited families at risk of eviction in Sheikh Jarrah, restating UK opposition to evictions of Palestinians from their homes.
Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of food insecurity in Palestine during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of food insecurity in Palestine during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) has exacerbated the humanitarian and food insecurity situation. Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, food insecurity, driven by high poverty and unemployment, affected 1.6 million Palestinians - nearly a third of the population in OPTs.
We recognise the importance of tackling food insecurity. To support, we are providing £2.5 million to the World Food Programme to provide food and cash assistance to the most vulnerable Palestinians in West Bank and Gaza. We have also contributed £1 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency's Emergency Appeal in the OPTs which will help provide emergency food to over one million food-insecure refugees in Gaza.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what arrangements they have made to recognise the state of Palestine.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what arrangements they have made to recognise the state of Palestine.
The UK will recognise a Palestinian state at a time when it best serves the objective of peace. Bilateral recognition in itself cannot end the occupation. Without a negotiated settlement the occupation and the problems that come with it will continue.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the statistics published by Military Court Watch showing that in February, of the Palestinian security prisoners held by Israel, 81 per cent of adults and 75 per cent of children were held in Israel...
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the statistics published by Military Court Watch showing that in February, of the Palestinian security prisoners held by Israel, 81 per cent of adults and 75 per cent of children were held in Israel...
The UK has serious concerns about the continued reports of ill-treatment of Palestinian minors in Israeli military detention. We continue to fund projects providing legal aid to minors and capacity building to local lawyers. Specifically, we advocate for the Israeli authorities to inform more consistently detainees of their legal rights. We continue to make representations to the Israeli authorities on this issue.
My Lords, the House should be grateful to the noble Baroness for giving us the opportunity for this timely debate. I declare an interest: I have been involved in the region for much of my life—during my ministerial days at the Foreign Office, obviously, but also I can never forget...
My Lords, the House should be grateful to the noble Baroness for giving us the opportunity for this timely debate. I declare an interest: I have been involved in the region for much of my life—during my ministerial days at the Foreign Office, obviously, but also I can never forget...
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statistics collected by Military Court Watch from the testimonies of Palestinian children who were detained by the Israeli military in the West Bank in 2019, published in May, and its findings that (1) 52 per cent were arrested at...
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statistics collected by Military Court Watch from the testimonies of Palestinian children who were detained by the Israeli military in the West Bank in 2019, published in May, and its findings that (1) 52 per cent were arrested at...
We are extremely concerned about the treatment of Palestinian children detained in Israeli prisons. Reports of the heavy use of painful restraints and the high number of Palestinian children who are not informed of their legal rights, in contravention of Israel's own regulations, are particularly concerning. We continue to make representations to the Israeli authorities on this issue and we remain committed to working with Israel to secure improvements to the practices surrounding Palestinian children in detention in Israel.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that the government of Israel’s Nature and Parks Authority is annexing land in the Palestinian Bab Al-Rahma cemetery and is digging up Palestinian graves in preparation for building a national park; and what representations they have made to...
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that the government of Israel’s Nature and Parks Authority is annexing land in the Palestinian Bab Al-Rahma cemetery and is digging up Palestinian graves in preparation for building a national park; and what representations they have made to...
Whilst we have not made any assessment and have not raised this specific issue with the Israeli authorities, we continue to encourage all parties to work together to uphold the status quo at the holy sites in Jerusalem, including Bab Al-Rahma.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the number of Palestinian children held in Israeli prisons; how many representations they have made to the government of Israel about this being a war crime under Article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention; when those representations were...
To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the number of Palestinian children held in Israeli prisons; how many representations they have made to the government of Israel about this being a war crime under Article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention; when those representations were...
We understand 203 Palestinian children were in Israeli military detention at the end of December 2018. It remains our assessment that transfer of Palestinian child and adult detainees to prisons inside Israel is in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention. We continue to make representations to the Israeli authorities at Ministerial and senior official level outlining our concerns around Israel’s treatment of Palestinian children in Israeli detention. Most recently officials at our Embassy in Tel Aviv raised our concerns with the Israeli authorities on 18 March.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what criteria they use to judge when the recognition of the state of Palestine would be appropriate.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what criteria they use to judge when the recognition of the state of Palestine would be appropriate.
We will recognise a Palestinian state at a time when it best serves the objective of peace. Bilateral recognition in itself cannot end the occupation. Without a negotiated settlement, the occupation and the problems that come with it will continue. The UK is strongly committed to a two-state solution as the best way to bring about stability and peace in the region.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the suitability of the United States acting as a mediator of Israeli–Palestinian peace talks.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the suitability of the United States acting as a mediator of Israeli–Palestinian peace talks.
We continue to discuss Middle East peace efforts with the US Administration, including the Foreign Secretary with Jared Kushner on 10 April. We continue to encourage the US Administration to bring forward detailed proposals for a viable Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement that addresses the legitimate concerns of both parties.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they have taken to assess any negative impact on Palestinians of the policies of business operating in, or with, Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they have taken to assess any negative impact on Palestinians of the policies of business operating in, or with, Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
We routinely update our guidance to British businesses on the Overseas Business Risk website. We advise British businesses to bear in mind the British Government's view on the illegality of settlements under international law when considering their investments and activities in the region. It has long been our position that Israeli settlement activity is illegal and undermines the viability of two states for two peoples. Ultimately it is the decision of an individual or company whether to operate in settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, but the British Government neither encourages nor offers support to such activity.
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they provide support to Palestinians brought before Israeli military courts in the West Bank to ensure that they have access to legal representation; and if so, whether they seek reimbursement for any such support from the government of Israel.
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they provide support to Palestinians brought before Israeli military courts in the West Bank to ensure that they have access to legal representation; and if so, whether they seek reimbursement for any such support from the government of Israel.
We are concerned by aspects of the Israeli military justice and detention system. We continue to fund projects providing legal aid to minors and capacity building to local lawyers. The British legal charity "Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights" has implemented a 'Know Your Rights' campaign in partnership with Defence for Children International-Palestine which works on projects, focused on protecting and promoting Palestinian human rights in the occupied West Bank if detained in Israel's military detention system. We remain committed to working with Israel to secure improvements to the practices surrounding Palestinians, including children, in detention in Israel.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to ensure that the schools for Palestinian children operated by United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees can continue their work throughout the coming academic year.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to ensure that the schools for Palestinian children operated by United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees can continue their work throughout the coming academic year.
The UK is committed to ensuring that the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) continues to deliver a high-quality education to over 500,000 children across the region. The UK has announced £17 million of funding over the past four months, in addition to our original budget of £28.5 million, to protect UNRWA’s vital services, including education. We continue to work with international partners to help unlock further funding for UNRWA.
My Lords, not for the first time, I find myself wanting warmly to congratulate the noble Lord and his team for having produced this excellent report. I always find them interesting reading and they have established quite a standard and reputation of their own.
It is particularly telling that, on this...
My Lords, not for the first time, I find myself wanting warmly to congratulate the noble Lord and his team for having produced this excellent report. I always find them interesting reading and they have established quite a standard and reputation of their own.
It is particularly telling that, on this...
My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Steel, for having secured this debate and for the masterful way in which he introduced it. I also want to put on record my appreciation to a number of organisations deeply involved in the issue, there among the people struggling with the...
My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Steel, for having secured this debate and for the masterful way in which he introduced it. I also want to put on record my appreciation to a number of organisations deeply involved in the issue, there among the people struggling with the...
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have held with the government of the United States on the decision no longer to refer to the West Bank and East Jerusalem as “occupied territories” in the United States State Department’s report, Israel and the Golan Heights 2017 Human Rights Report, published...
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have held with the government of the United States on the decision no longer to refer to the West Bank and East Jerusalem as “occupied territories” in the United States State Department’s report, Israel and the Golan Heights 2017 Human Rights Report, published...
While we have not raised this specific issue with the US, the UK position remains clear. We consider that the level of control that Israel retains over the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza amounts to occupation under international law, Hence Israel’s presence is governed by the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, to which Israel is a state party. The UK is firmly committed to the promotion and protection of human rights and compliance with international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and we continue to call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the United States State Department’s report, Israel and the Golan Heights 2017 Human Rights Report, published on 20 April, in particular (1) its reference to the conclusion of the UNICEF Report of 2013 that “the maltreatment of Palestinian children appears...
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the United States State Department’s report, Israel and the Golan Heights 2017 Human Rights Report, published on 20 April, in particular (1) its reference to the conclusion of the UNICEF Report of 2013 that “the maltreatment of Palestinian children appears...
The treatment of Palestinian children in Israeli military detention remains a human rights priority for the UK. We will continue to call upon Israel to improve its practices in line with international law and obligations. We have offered to help the Israeli authorities through expert-to-expert talks with British officials. That offer still stands. While we recognise that Israel has made some improvements, it needs to do much more to safeguard vulnerable people in its care. Most recently I raised the issue of children in detention with Israeli Justice Minister Shaked during my trip to the region in April 2018.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what additional support they are providing for key services for Palestinian refugees, including schools, health, and emergency food and cash distribution, following the decision by the government of the United States to cut funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what additional support they are providing for key services for Palestinian refugees, including schools, health, and emergency food and cash distribution, following the decision by the government of the United States to cut funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
My Lords, we are consistently a major donor to UNRWA, having so far provided around £50 million in 2017-18 based on the agency meeting rigorous performance indicators. We contributed more than expected for this financial year to help to manage UNRWA’s funding gap in December. We are working closely with UNRWA and other key donors to do all that we can to maintain essential services for Palestinian refugees.
My Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply. I am reassured that the Government are working hard on closing the gap, but cuts of $50 million to $60 million are bound to have severe impacts on the ongoing work of UNRWA with women, children and, indeed, men. Will we do everything possible to make sure that these cuts do not have to take place? Will we recognise that cuts of that kind, coming so soon after the President’s precipitant action on Jerusalem, must inevitably raise anxiety and unrest about the level of commitment to the Palestinian people required of us by the Balfour Declaration?
My Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply. I am reassured that the Government are working hard on closing the gap, but cuts of $50 million to $60 million are bound to have severe impacts on the ongoing work of UNRWA with women, children and, indeed, men. Will we do everything possible to make sure that these cuts do not have to take place? Will we recognise that cuts of that kind, coming so soon after the President’s precipitant action on Jerusalem, must inevitably raise anxiety and unrest about the level of commitment to the Palestinian people required of us by the Balfour Declaration?
As the noble Lord will know from his immense experience in this area, the Government and officials are having meetings with their opposite numbers in the United States, seeking to understand the position in relation to that. As we understand it, a tranche which was due to paid of about $65 million was withheld, the basis for which can vary depending on who you talk to. Part of the reason from the US is that it wants to encourage more international donors to step up to the plate to help to fund UNRWA—and, on that point, I think that it has something to say. The largest bilateral donors are Germany with $76 million, Sweden with $61 million and the United Kingdom with $60 million, while the United States contribution last year was $364 million. It is a huge contributor to UNRWA and, as well as the international community rightly challenging the importance of the humanitarian assistance from
the United States, we should recognise the significant contribution that the United States makes to UNRWA’s important work.
My Lords, that was a courageous and forthright speech.
I declare my interests as a member of the advisory panel of the United Nations Association. Like others, I want to thank the noble Lord, Lord Ashdown, most warmly for having secured this debate and for the challenging way in which he...
My Lords, that was a courageous and forthright speech.
I declare my interests as a member of the advisory panel of the United Nations Association. Like others, I want to thank the noble Lord, Lord Ashdown, most warmly for having secured this debate and for the challenging way in which he...