An Israeli real estate event in north London on Sunday handed out pamphlets advertising homes in illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, despite organisers previously denying that such properties would be marketed.
The pamphlets, shared with the Guardian and obtained exclusively by Sky News, featured projects in Ma’ale Adumim, Givat Ze’ev, Kfar Eldad and Teneh Omarim in the occupied West Bank, as well as Ramat Eshkol and Givat Hamatos in East Jerusalem. One leaflet invited attendees to “explore the best Anglo neighbourhoods” and find their “dream home”, while another registered interest in Gush Etzion, an Israeli settlement the UK government considers illegal.
“Pamphlets at a London property show advertised homes in illegal Israeli settlements despite organisers' denials.”
The event, the final stop in a series of international roadshows after Toronto and New York, sparked large protests outside the venue. It had already drawn fierce opposition from more than 100 UK lawmakers and civil society organisations, who had called for its cancellation, arguing it was incompatible with the government’s obligations under international law and official guidance on settlement-related economic activity.
Last week, Andy McDonald MP, co-chair of the British-Palestine all-party parliamentary group, wrote to the foreign secretary with 101 signatories saying the event was “embedded in Israel’s project of colonial expansion” and urging the government to block it. After the event, McDonald said: “There is a prima facie case at the very least that people were advertising land in illegal settlements and that is contrary to law, and the government needs to act.”
London mayor Sadiq Khan also voiced concerns beforehand, speaking to the Metropolitan police. Khan said he was informed that any allegations of criminality over the unlawful sale of property at the event would be assessed with a view to investigation.
The appearance of illegal settlement properties in the promotional material directly contradicts earlier denials by the organisers, who had claimed no such land would be marketed. The revelations have intensified pressure on the government to take action, with McDonald demanding an official response.