Protests planned for Netanyahu’s London visit next week

A demonstration and counter-demonstration are being planned for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the UK on Monday.

In a rallying call, the Zionist Federation has called for a “communal counter-demo against those who would shut down dialogue between these democracies”.

The Palestinian Solidary Campaign is organising a protest outside Downing Street from 11.30 to 13.30, and the ZF has said it will be there in force.

Netanyahu cancelled an earlier arranged meeting between the pair, in protest against the UK voting for a UN Security Council Resolution condemning Jewish settlements in the West Bank as “a flagrant violation of international law”.

The Israeli PM is due to fly in for a late-morning meeting followed by a lunch, but his visit will be met with scenes of demonstration, particularly in light of his government’s recent announcement to build more than 6,000 new settler units.

Netanyahu came to the UK in September 2015 to meet then-PM David Cameron, as protesters demanded his arrest for war crimes in Gaza. On Thursday of this week, three days after his visit, MPs will debate the settlements in Parliament.