London mayor slams event touting illegal Israeli settlement land sales
âGreat Israeli Real Estate Eventâ promotes the sale of stolen Palestinian land in illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank. The mayor of London has
âGreat Israeli Real Estate Eventâ promotes the sale of stolen Palestinian land in illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank. The mayor of London has condemned this weekendâs âGreat Israeli Real Estate Eventâ, part of a roadshow promoting the sale of land and property in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Mayor Sadiq Khan expressed âconcernsâ about the event due to take place in the British capital on Sunday, during a Mayorâs Question Time session on Friday. âIsraeli settlements in the West Bank are unjustifiable and illegal under international law,â Khan said in response to a question about the event from the United Kingdomâs Green Party leader Zack Polanski. âThey are deeply tied to the ongoing displacement of Palestinians.
âI condemn any attempt to sell property in the settlements in the West Bank, be that in London or anywhere else in the world; I share concerns about the greater Israeli real estate event taking place in our city, which I oppose,â Khan added. The event is organised by My Home in Israel, a real estate agency focused on attracting overseas clients to buy property in Israel. Rights groups, including Amnesty, have slammed the event for openly the sale of land in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Khan said he had discussed the event with Londonâs Metropolitan police and had been informed that any allegations of criminality relating to the potentially unlawful sale of property at the event would be assessed by the Met as part of an investigation.
âGiven the significant escalation in speed and scale of annexation measures under Israelâs 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,â Kristyan Benedict, Amnesty International UKâs crisis response campaign manager, said in a statement. âThis isnât a property fair. Itâs apartheid and annexation with a sales pitch,â he said. Israeli settlement expansion Israeli settlers are Israeli citizens who live illegally on Palestinian land. Israel started building illegal settlements after capturing the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the June 1967 Si Day War, and now, more than 700,000 settlers â 10 percent of Israelâs population â live in 150 illegal settlements and 128 outposts spread across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
