An Open Letter to Hamish Falconer MP
Dear Minister Falconer,
CC, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper
We are writing to you as British Jews and British Israelis to express our support for a ban on trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory. We welcome the remarks you made yesterday in Parliament regarding Israeli settlements and the importance of distinguishing between the policies of the Israeli Government and the views of Jewish and Israeli communities.
You said: "There are many, many Israelis, and indeed many, many British Jews, who can see the terrible damage done by violent settlements, and we must not tar communities in this country or the whole nation of Israel with the same brush."
Thank you for making this important distinction.
Too often, public debate about Israel and Palestine reduces diverse communities to a single political position. As British Jews and British Israelis, we know this is neither accurate nor fair. Within our communities there is deep concern about the expansion of settlements, the violence carried out by extremist settlers, and the profound damage these policies inflict on Palestinians, on Israel's democracy, and on the prospects for a just and lasting peace.
We were also encouraged by your observation that: "There are many voices in Israel who recognise the terrible harm being done to the State of Israel by the expansion of settlements."
We are among those voices.
For decades, Israeli human rights organisations, former security officials, legal experts, peace activists, and many ordinary citizens have warned that settlement expansion undermines the possibility of a negotiated peace and entrenches a reality of permanent occupation and unequal rights.
For this reason, we support the UK Government's intention to strengthen its response to settlements, including consideration of measures to prevent trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory.
Such measures are not directed against Israel or against Jewish people. Rather, they distinguish between the internationally recognised State of Israel and settlements established in occupied territory in violation of international law. That distinction has long been recognised by successive British Governments and reflects the UK's longstanding commitment to a negotiated two-state solution.
We believe that refusing to support the settlement enterprise economically is both principled and consistent with the values of democracy, equality and the rule of law.
We support measures that clearly distinguish between Israel and the settlement enterprise because they strengthen—not weaken—the prospects for a secure Israel living alongside a sovereign Palestinian state. Those who argue that such measures are anti-Israel are mistaken. By helping to preserve the possibility of two states, they serve the long-term interests of both Israelis and Palestinians.
Thank you for recognising that many British Jews and British Israelis share these concerns. We hope the Government will continue to engage with the many voices within our communities who are working towards a just and peaceful future for both peoples. We also urge you to take the next step by introducing, without delay, a ban on trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory.
Yours sincerely,
British Jews and British Israelis supporting peace, equality and a two-state future
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