Middle East Minister Alistair Burt backs Yachad’s anti-demolitions campaign

 Middle East Minister Alistair Burt has told a Jewish audience that  campaigns against Israeli West Bank demolitions “have been instrumental in halting some activity up to now” and urged critics of the country’s policies in the region  to “continue to speak out”.

Burt was keynote speaker at Yachad’s gala dinner on Sunday,  speaking to an audience of 200. He stated his support for the organisation, which he described as a “moderate voice in
a world which is exceptionally binary”.

During the evening, he met the student activists involved in the
#DontSettleForThis campaign – the drive against demolitions of Palestinian villages in the West Bank.

He said the government considers these demolitions “unacceptable” and praised the students for “raising awareness of this within the Jewish community and beyond”.

Dr Izzeldin Abuelaish, a Palestinian peace activist who lost his three daughters during the 2008-2009 Gaza War, also spoke at the event.

Yachad’s director Hannah Weisfeld said: “The minister’s support of our
work and desire to see a moderate and pragmatic debate about Israel is very encouraging.”