127 MPs and peers urge Britain to spell out ‘severe consequences’ of annexation
search

The latest Jewish News

Read this week’s digital edition

Click Here

127 MPs and peers urge Britain to spell out ‘severe consequences’ of annexation

Labour Friends of Israel and the ZF oppose letter from parliamentarians calling for sanctions against the Jewish state, stressing 'unilateral steps are a barrier to peace'

A sign points to Israeli tourists sites and activities in the Jewish settlement Shilo, West Bank. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI
A sign points to Israeli tourists sites and activities in the Jewish settlement Shilo, West Bank. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI

Israel’s supporters in the UK this week poured cold water on a letter signed by 127 Parliamentarians slamming Israel’s planned annexation of areas of the West Bank.

The letter, organised by the Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding (CAABU), urged the Government to spell out that annexation would have “severe consequences including sanctions”.

MPs and peers from all political parties signed the letter, including several high-profile figures, but this week Labour Friends of Israel (LFI), the Zionist Federation (ZF) and a Lib Dem peer said sanctions were not the answer.

An LFI spokeswoman said the parliamentary group “unequivocally opposes any Israeli annexation in the West Bank” but said “unilateral steps are a barrier to peace”.

She added: “We also totally oppose imposing sanctions on Israel, a core demand of the pernicious and extreme BDS campaign. Sanctions would only serve to weaken those in Israel fighting annexation and embolden the right in their bunker mentality.”

Lib Dem peer Lord Monroe Palmer said “it shows that both sides need to get round a negotiating table,” adding: “I think some people are hasty to condemn but in this instance Israel isn’t helping itself, neither are the Palestinians.”

ZF chair Paul Charney said: “All past attempts at negotiated settlement have failed due to Palestinian intransigence, leaving Israel with little option other than to take unilateral steps to secure its borders and its future for all its citizens.”

He added that “Israel is a democratic state, led by a democratically elected government, and annexation will not change this”.

READ MORE:

OPINION – Zehava Galon: We’re fighting for Israel’s identity, a country that’s as much yours as mine

OPINION – Sir Mick Davis: Israeli politics violates values of the Diaspora

Support your Jewish community. Support your Jewish News

Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.

For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.

Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.

You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.

100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...

Engaging

Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.

Celebrating

There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.

Pioneering

In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.

Campaigning

Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.

Easy access

In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.

Voice of our community to wider society

The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.

We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.

read more: