65 MPs and peers back call for Israel-Palestine peace fund

At least 65 parliamentarians have added their signatures to a letter to UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, calling on the government to commit to an International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace.

The letter, which was put together by the Britain-Israel All Party Parliamentary Group, has been signed by MPs and peers from the Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats.

The heads of Labour Friends of Israel, Conservative Friends of Israel and Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel have also signed it.

The Britain-Israel APPG is calling on the UK to “substantiate its support for peaceful coexistence” by playing “a decisive leadership role” and committing to the idea.

The letter states that recent outbreaks of violence in Israel and Gaza are “indicative of a failure by the international community” to invest in sustainable initiatives aimed at promoting peace.

The International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian peace is an initiative championed by ALLMEP, a coalition of organisations that aim to establish long-lasting peace between Israeli and Palestinian communities.

The funds aims to provide a £140 million annual purse “dedicated to creating the civic foundations upon which a lasting peace can be built.”

In 2018, Theresa May’s government confirmed its support for the concept, a move the United States has also taken.