Parliament is about to debate whether the UK should ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements – and your MP’s voice could make all the difference.
Illegal Israeli settlements are built on stolen Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank. They take water and natural resources from Palestinian communities, force families from their homes and are in breach of international law.
The UK government claims to oppose settlements, yet is still allowing goods produced in them to be sold on our shelves. This is about staggering human rights abuses and environmental injustice.
The International Court of Justice ruled in 2024 that Israel’s occupation is illegal and must end. Yet settlements keep expanding and Palestinians continue to pay the price. Israel’s finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has said the progress of one particular project would “bury the idea of a Palestinian state”.
If the government is serious about international law, it must back words with action. Other European countries are banning settlement trade – we can and must do the same. Ask your MP to attend the debate and support a ban on trade with illegal settlements.