Middle East minister: ‘Palestinian incitement has not gone unnoticed’

Middle East Minister Tobias Ellwood has said that the Palestinian leadership’s failure to condemn a wave of violence against citizens and soldiers in Israel “has not gone unnoticed”.

Replying to Foreign Office questions this week, Ellwood said he had raised the response of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at international talks in Paris last month, as Israeli leaders continue to blame the attacks on “incitement”.

He said Ramallah needed to “make it clear that those actions must be condemned,” but “instead of condemning the murders, the Palestinian Authority glorified them”. He added that “with all the other distractions and concerns in the Middle East, we have lost sight of something that needs to be resolved”.

Since September, 36 Israelis and four foreign nationals have been killed in violent attacks, many of which have been perpetrated by Palestinians who often have no criminal record or links to militant groups.

Part of Britain’s funding for the Palestinian Authority is tied up with European Union aid money, but since the country’s decision to leave the EU, lobbyists have sought to exert pressure on Whitehall to tie PA funding to conditions of conduct.