Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

East Jerusalem: Forced Evictions and Dispossessions

Tuesday 2 March 2021 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The United Kingdom provides legal aid to vulnerable Palestinian communities at threat of demolition.
  • In 96% of cases, those receiving UK-funded legal support have remained in their homes.
  • The UK ambassador joined European ambassadors to urge the Israeli Government to halt demolitions and evictions.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Julie Elliott Lab
Community Security Foreign Affairs
Context

Recent events have highlighted forced evictions and dispossession of Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem, prompting discussions between the UK and Israeli governments.

Question

What recent discussions has he had with his Israeli counterpart on forced evictions and dispossessions in East Jerusalem? The questioner notes that she and many colleagues have heard repeated stories from Palestinians facing forced eviction, dispossession, and demolition of their homes in areas such as Sheikh Jarrah, Silwan, and Issawiya in occupied East Jerusalem.

Answer from James Cleverly

The United Kingdom provides legal aid to vulnerable Palestinian communities at threat of demolition. In 96% of cases, those receiving UK-funded legal support have remained in their homes. The UK ambassador joined ambassadors of European states to urge the Government of Israel to cease demolitions and attended a meeting with Israeli authorities on 25 February.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about what more can be done was not addressed directly.

How: Urging

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Q2 Julie Elliott Lab
Community Security
Context

The questioner mentions that she and many colleagues have heard repeated stories from Palestinians facing forced eviction, dispossession, and demolition of their homes in areas such as Sheikh Jarrah, Silwan, and Issawiya in occupied East Jerusalem.

Question

What more can the Government do rather than just urge the Israeli Government to stop these evictions and demolitions?

Answer from James Cleverly

The United Kingdom has a close and productive working relationship with Israel. When we speak, the Israelis absolutely do listen. The hon. Lady dismisses our urgings, but I remind her that the UK's voice has had an influence on decisions made by the Government of Israel.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about additional steps was not addressed directly.

How: Urging

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