Cooper accused of failing to stop UK marketing of illegal West Bank properties

Abbie Llewelyn, Press Association Political Staff

The UK Government has been accused of failing to stop the marketing of illegal West Bank properties at an event in London on Sunday.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper was urged last week to ban the Great Israeli Real Estate Event, with MPs warning illegal settlements are being advertised alongside properties in Israeli cities.

Ms Cooper told MPs on Tuesday the issue has been raised with the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA), which was asked to “urgently look into this”.

The Foreign Secretary criticised “settler terrorism” in the West Bank, but stopped short of committing to a ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements, despite calls from MPs, including Labour backbenchers.

Green Party Westminster leader Ellie Chowns branded the Government’s sanctions on Israeli illegal settlers announced last week “entirely inadequate”.

Speaking at Foreign Office questions, she said: “In relation to West Bank settlement activity, the Secretary of State set out piecemeal and entirely inadequate measures last week to address this.

“It was raised to her at that point that the UK would be hosting a Great Israeli Real Estate Event at the weekend.

“She undertook to look into it.

“That event took place.

“At that event, properties in illegal settlements were being marketed on British territory.

“The Government has been sent the evidence about this.

“How is it that this Government fails even to prevent the marketing of illegal property in this country, and still fails to take action?

“The Secretary of State continues to tell us about the meetings that she’s had, but what we want is leadership.

“The UK has a particular responsibility.

“Will she step up and ban trade with illegal settlements?”

Responding, Ms Cooper said: “We have been very clear that not only should no businesses be engaging in trade or in marketing around the illegal settlements, they certainly should not be doing so on UK soil.

“And that is why my colleague, the minister for the Middle East and North Africa (Hamish Falconer), and also the DCMS (Department for Culture, Media and Sport) have raised this now directly with the Advertising Standards Agency, because we take this so seriously.

“We have asked them now to urgently look into this and to reassure us that, if there is any evidence of the advertising or promotion of property in illegal settlements at this or any other events, they will uphold the law, regulations, and guidance that apply.

“It is extremely important that those standards are met in the UK, and that is exactly why we have raised this so seriously with the Advertising Standards Agency.”

Last week, Liberal Democrats’ defence spokesman Callum Miller told the Foreign Secretary that the Great Israeli Real State event is marketing illegal settlements in Gush Etzion.

He said: “This is Palestinian land being advertised, bartered and sold on the streets of our capital.

“So, will the Government intervene to ban the event, unless assurances can be made that no properties in illegal settlements will be advertised?”

Debbie Abrahams, Labour MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, also said the sale of Palestinian land at the event would be “flouting international law” in London.

Ms Cooper warned businesses “against associating themselves with potential breaches of international law.

She added: “In terms of the operations within London, we will pursue any issue that we can around anything that might be either in breach of the law or might be issues that we can raise.

“I think that there is a moral responsibility on organisations, whether it be on businesses or other organisations, and particularly on charities, where we have additional enforcement powers, not to support illegal settlements that are not only in breach of international law but are also undermining the regional security and peace.”

Elsewhere on Tuesday, Ms Cooper told MPs that ideologically driven violence against Palestinians on their own land is “settler terrorism”.

Her words came after Labour MP for Basingstoke Luke Murphy highlighted the deaths, detentions and education disruption faced by children in the West Bank and asked what the Government is doing to improve their safety.

Responding, Ms Cooper said: “This is about the impact of violence, and some of the targeted and ideologically driven violence against Palestinians on their own land is settler terrorism, and we should call it that.

“We are continuing to provide support for children in Palestine, including providing additional funding for the Palestinian Authority, so they can pay the salaries of teachers and keep schools going.”