Amnesty International has called on the British government to prevent an Israeli property event due to be held in London next week from going ahead, saying it promotes the sale of land and homes in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The human rights organisation criticised the “Great Israeli Real Estate Event,” scheduled for June 14 in London, describing it as part of a series of international roadshows targeting Jewish diaspora communities and marketing settlement properties alongside homes in Israeli cities.
Amnesty said the event reflects a broader pattern of international activities promoting investment in settlements at a time when the Israeli government has accelerated settlement construction and land annexation across the occupied West Bank.
“Given the significant escalation in speed and scale of annexation measures under Israel’s current government and the rise in state-backed settler violence, it is unthinkable that the UK government could allow an event to be held in the UK that openly promotes activities encouraging settlement expansion,” Kristyan Benedict, Amnesty International UK’s crisis response manager, said in a statement.
He added: “Israel’s unlawful land confiscation, home demolitions, alongside the rapid growth of illegal settlements and outposts on Palestinians’ ancestral lands are devastating Palestinian lives and their protected rights under international law.”
Benedict urged ministers to take action against the organisers and stop the event from taking place.
“The UK government must ensure they halt all trade, cooperation and investment relations enabling unlawful occupation and apartheid. It can start by taking strong action against the organisers of this event and ensuring it is not allowed to promote illegal activities on UK soil,” he said.
Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated on the latest news and updates from around the Muslim world!
“This isn’t a property fair. It’s apartheid and annexation with a sales pitch.”
Amnesty International UK also called on the government to take immediate steps to prevent the event from proceeding and to implement “a comprehensive ban on all trade, investment and financial services that facilitate or incentivise the settlement enterprise and its expansion.”
The organisation said Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are illegal under international law and noted that they have been condemned by the UN Security Council and the International Court of Justice.
Amnesty argued that the settlements are a central pillar of what it has documented as a system of apartheid against Palestinians.
Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are illegal under international law and they have been condemned by the UN Security Council and the International Court of Justice.
Around 750,000 illegal Israeli settlers now live in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, including more than 500,000 in the West Bank and around 234,000 in East Jerusalem.
The settler population has grown significantly over the past decade despite widespread international opposition and repeated UN resolutions declaring the settlements illegal.
The occupied West Bank has seen increased Israeli military raids, arrests and settlement expansion since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023.
