Israel is now preparing to annex the settlements in the West Bank, as well as the Jordan Valley, on 1st July 2020. Unilateral annexation breaches international law.
Since 1967, Israel has been carrying out "creeping annexation" in the West Bank through the expansion of settlements, connected to Israel by infrastructure. Palestinians are restricted from building homes in Area C, which comprises 60% of the West Bank under Israeli military control.
Israel illegally occupied the West Bank in the 1967 war. Since then, more than 700,000 Israelis have established settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. There are about 200 settlements and they are considered illegal under the Geneva Conventions, which prohibit settling on land captured by force.
Israel has previously failed to comply with more than 40 UN Security Council resolutions, and about 100 UN General Assembly resolutions.
There are 50,000 Palestinians living in the Jordan Valley, which makes up half of the West Bank's agricultural land and is crucial to Palestinian food security.
Palestinians have faced the ongoing catastrophe of displacement for more than 72 years. Israel's planned annexation of the West Bank will mark a defining moment in the ongoing Nakba, leading to further dispossession and deepening poverty, trauma and despair.
Contact the Prime Minister
Contact Boris Johnson, the Prime Minster of the UK.
If you are a resident of his Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency, you can also contact him as your local MP.
Contact the Foreign Secretary
Contact Dominic Raab, the British Foreign Secretary and his office, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office.
Talking Points
Edit the content below for your emails, tweets and calls to the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary. Share any responses you get with us and encourage others to also take action!
Dear Prime Minister Johnson,
I am writing to urge you to take immediate action to prevent Israel’s imminent illegal annexation of the occupied West Bank. The acquisition of territory by force is illegal- I ask you to act swiftly with the international community to protect the rights of the Palestinian people, including their rights to security and self-determination.
Palestinians continue to stand defenceless in the face of occupying power. The UK government must acknowledge its complicity in the long history of Palestinian dispossession and take serious steps towards protecting the human rights guaranteed to the Palestinians under international law.
The latest move by the Israeli government to illegally annex the West Bank follows the US government’s “Deal of the Century” which sets out a vision for a fragmented Palestinian territory, with Israeli control over its borders, air space and natural resources, as well as its territorial waters in the Mediterranean.
Israel’s planned annexation of the West Bank will mark a defining moment in the ongoing humanitarian crisis facing Palestinians, leading to further dispossession, poverty and trauma for generations to come.
I ask you to act now and make clear to Israel that annexation of the West Bank will be met with severe consequences from the international community. As a matter of urgency, the UK government must:
- Call on the government of Israel to abide by its obligations under international law for the protection of Palestinians.
- Impose a ban on settlement goods in UK markets and economic sanctions until Israel complies with international law.
- Work with the international community to ensure the government of Israel is held accountable for its violations of humanitarian and international law in relation to Palestinian rights.
- Call on the Israeli government to end its illegal occupation of Palestinian territory.
The UK has a unique responsibility in this situation. Your citizens are looking to you to be right kind of leader in these difficult times. I would very much appreciate a response to the issues I have put forward.
Yours Sincerely,
Your Name & Details
