Stephen has urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson to speak out on behalf of Palestinian families who are being forcibly evicted from their homes in East Jerusalem to make way for Jewish only settlements.
In total, 58 people, including 17 children, are imminently due to be forcibly displaced to make way for Jewish only settlements. Over the last week we have seen violent settler groups, backed by the Israeli state, intimidating, assaulting Palestinian residents and setting light to Palestinian fields.
The evictions of Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah are part of an ongoing process of the Nakba that started in 1948 where over 750,000 Palestinians were forced out their homes and made refugees. 2020 saw the highest rate of settlement expansion in East Jerusalem on record and over 1500 Palestinians are under threat of their homes being demolished and forcibly displaced.
Speaking on Monday, Stephen said: “I am deeply troubled about the eviction of families by Israeli Government authorities in the West Bank. The evictions contravene international humanitarian law, jeopardise the possibility a genuinely two-state solution and undermine social stability and security.
“These proposed evictions demand action from the UK Government and the international community. With our permanent seat on the UN Security Council and our historical role in Israeli-Palestinian affairs, I believe the UK has a moral duty to be proactive on this important issue.”
Stephen’s letter suggested that the Prime Minister should look at imposing sanctions on Israel for illegally annexing Palestinian land, something which he has previously refused to do.