Asked by: Baroness Janke (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of new Israeli travel entry requirements for the West Bank which came into force on 22 May which were reported to place additional restrictions and surveillance on visitors to those areas, except for those visiting Israeli settlements.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are monitoring this issue closely and engaging the Israeli Authorities to understand their application and potential implications. As a friend of Israel, we have a regular dialogue on human rights. We continue to stress to the Israeli authorities the damage that their restrictions on movement, access and trade are doing to the living standards of ordinary Palestinians.
Asked by: Baroness Janke (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the presence of armed Israeli forces at St Joseph's hospital on 13 May, (2) the actions of the Israeli forces towards attendees of the funeral of Shireen Abu Aqleh, and (3) the confiscation of Palestinian flags by Israeli forces at the funeral.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
During a call with the Israeli Ambassador on 19 May, Minister Milling made clear the UK's sadness at the recent death of Shireen Abu Aqleh and the deeply disturbing scenes at her funeral in Jerusalem. She urged a thorough, impartial and transparent investigation into the events. The UK Ambassador to Israel has reiterated the importance of an investigation with the Israeli authorities. We call for urgent steps to de-escalate tensions and for restraint in the use of force. The safety of journalists across the globe is vital and they must be protected when carrying out their critical work.
Asked by: Baroness Janke (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that the government of Israel plans to expel over 1,000 Palestinians from their villages in Masafer Yatta.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is clear that in all but the most exceptional of circumstances, demolitions and evictions are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. Our opposition to the demolition of Palestinian property and the evictions of Palestinians from their homes is long-standing. We call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation.
Asked by: Baroness Janke (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of religious freedom for (1) Christians, and (2) Muslims, in Jerusalem, especially during Jewish festivals.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all, and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. The UK condemns all attacks on the right to freedom of religion or belief. Israel is a thriving democracy, and has made clear its commitment to freedom of religion. We encourage the Israeli Government to do all it can to uphold the values of equality for all enshrined in its laws.
Asked by: Baroness Janke (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel concerning recent reports of Israeli soldiers invading Palestinian homes in Tiwani village, near Hebron.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv raised UK concerns about clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces with the Israeli authorities on 24 March. We recognise Israel's legitimate need to deploy security measures. We encourage them to deploy these in a way that minimises tension, uses appropriate force, and avoids causing unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians.
Asked by: Baroness Janke (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the map of (1) house demolitions, and (2) household displacements, in Israel and the West Bank, published by the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions in February.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In all but the most exceptional of circumstances, demolitions and evictions are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. On 19 January, the former Minister for the Middle East urged the Government of Israel to stop these practices. The UK raises these issues with the Government of Israel, most recently with Israel's Ministry of Defence on 20 January and Ministry of Justice on 27 January.
Asked by: Baroness Janke (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the restrictions on foreign citizens seeking to reside or work in the West Bank, published by the government of Israel in February.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK raises the issue of freedom of movement and access into and out of the Occupied Palestinian Territories with the Israeli authorities. We recognise Israel's legitimate need to deploy security measures and we encourage them to deploy these in a way that minimises tension.
Asked by: Baroness Janke (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they will make, if any, to the government of Israel about the use of isolation for Palestinians prisoners, including for minors.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation, including the treatment of Palestinian children. We remain committed to working with Israel to secure improvements to the practices surrounding children in detention and raise this with the Israeli Ministry of Justice. We also fund projects providing legal aid to assist children with legal representation and capacity building to local lawyers.
Asked by: Baroness Janke (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proportionality of the security response by Israeli forces to Palestinians accused of throwing stones.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We stress the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population, in particular the need to protect children. We encourage Israel to deploy security measures in a way which minimises tensions. We call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation, including the treatment of Palestinian children.
Asked by: Baroness Janke (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had, if any, with the government of Israel regarding reports of detention and abuse of (1) disabled, (2) underage, and (3) vulnerable, Palestinian civilians by Israeli forces.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We call on the Israeli authorities to comply with their obligations under international law and either charge or release detainees. We do this both bilaterally and in co-operation with like-minded diplomatic partners. We have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation and stress the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population.