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Palestinian Community Leaders: "UK Government Should Not Do Business with Israeli Settlement Builders"

November 24, 2008

The Guardian, Saturday November 22 2008 - It is with great dismay that we learned of the British government's plans to rent space for its new Tel Aviv embassy location from Lev Leviev's company Africa-Israel.

 

Africa-Israel builds Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Additionally, Leviev's company Leader is building the settlement of Zufim. Israeli settlements are illegal under international law.

 

The Guardian, Saturday November 22 2008 - It is with great dismay that we learned of the British government's plans to rent space for its new Tel Aviv embassy location from Lev Leviev's company Africa-Israel.

 

Africa-Israel builds Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Additionally, Leviev's company Leader is building the settlement of Zufim. Israeli settlements are illegal under international law.

 

We welcome the recent decision by the British government to take action against Israeli settlements by cracking down on settlement exports. However, renting space for the embassy from a settlement-builder would send a contradictory message, signalling clear and active complicity with illegal settlement construction.

 

It is this kind of international complicity that allows Israel to continue to violate international law with impunity, thereby eroding the credibility of international law at the global level and in relation to occupied Palestinian territory. The UK Foreign Office says no lease has been signed but provides no assurance that such a deal will not take place. We therefore call on the British government to publicly guarantee that it will not do business with settlement-builders such as Lev Leviev and his company Africa-Israel.

 


Hussam Khader
, Palestinian National Council

Khaleda Jarrar
, Palestinian Legislative Council

Hanan Ashrawi
, Palestinian Legislative Council

Dr. Mustafa Barghouti
, Palestinian Legislative Council

Archbishop Atallah Hannah
, Archbishop of Sebastia

Sheikh Ikrimah Sabri
, Sheikh of al-Aqsa Mosque

November 24, 2008
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