LONDON: More than 100 British lawmakers have called for an Israeli real estate event in London to be canceled, arguing that it could promote property linked to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
In a letter addressed to Foreign Secretary David Lammy, 101 parliamentarians from the House of Commons and House of Lords called on the government to block the event, which is set to take place on Sunday, The Guardian reported.
They said the exhibition was linked to the sale of land in Israeli settlements that are considered illegal under international law and warned it could contribute to settlement expansion in occupied Palestinian territory.
The event is the latest in a series of international property exhibitions aimed at prospective buyers interested in homes and investment opportunities in Israel.
Early promotional material invited would-be investors to explore residential opportunities in areas such as Gush Etzion, a settlement bloc in the occupied West Bank.
But the organizers have rejected allegations that properties in West Bank settlements will be marketed at the event.
In comments reported by Jewish News, a spokesperson described the claims as “ridiculous” and said that all exhibitors would present information only on properties and projects located within Israel’s internationally recognized boundaries.
The references to Gush Etzion that appeared on earlier promotional material were later removed from the event’s website.
The controversy has drawn criticism from a number of human rights and pro-Palestinian organizations, including Amnesty International UK, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and the Muslim Association of Britain, which have also called for the event to be canceled.
Kristyan Benedict, crisis response manager for Amnesty International UK, said allowing an event that encouraged settlement-related activity would be inappropriate amid ongoing concerns about settlement expansion and violence in the West Bank.
“Given the significant escalation in speed and scale of annexation measures under Israel’s current government and the rise in state-backed settler violence, it is unthinkable that the UK government could allow an event to be held in the UK that openly promotes activities encouraging settlement expansion,” she said.
“This isn’t a property fair, it’s apartheid and annexation with a sales pitch.”
The event comes amid growing international criticism of Israeli settlement construction.
Britain, along with several of its allies, has said repeatedly that settlements in the occupied West Bank violate international law and undermine prospects for a negotiated two-state solution, a position rejected by Israel.
A UK government spokesperson reiterated that position, saying Israeli settlements were illegal under international law and harmful to efforts to achieve lasting peace.
Britain would soon issue updated guidance to help UK businesses avoid involvement in commercial activities linked to settlements, the person said.
The UK has taken a number of measures targeting settlement activity in recent years, including imposing sanctions on organizations and individuals accused of supporting violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank.