Speaker: Kamel Hawwash (PSC Vice-Chair)
Israel’s illegal settlements are not a victim-less crime. Perhaps more appropriately described as colonies, Israeli settlements are villages, towns and cities built illegally on Palestinian land. With the continual building of more and more settlements Israel is building Palestine out of existence.
Settlements and their residents live under the protection of the Israeli forces: Palestinians are not allowed in. They are kept at bay by checkpoints, razor wire and heavily armed soldiers. Settlements often take the water resources on which the local Palestinian populations would have relied. Settlements are serviced by a system of segregated roads that Palestinians are not allowed even to take their cars on.
The UK Government calls Israeli settlements illegal and a barrier to peace. And yet in spite of their words, they have taken no action. We are campaigning, with partners in Palestine and the UK, to demand the UK government takes decisive and effective action against Israel in order to stop the continual building of illegal settlements.
