Bureau report
Manchester
The Forum of Muslim Organisations, Greater Manchester (FMO), has warmly welcomed the government’s decision to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
In a statement, FMO said that it welcomed the commitment that action will be taken against those who provide services such as construction, infrastructure, financing, or real estate for settlement expansion. This is a very welcome first step towards securing the rights of Palestinians in the Occupied Territories. FMO wholeheartedly supports our Foreign Secretary, Ed Miliband. The issue of E1 tenders would cut through the heart of Palestine, creating facts on the ground and making a two-state solution unviable. In the West Bank, 65 Palestinian communities have been expelled since 2023 because of state and settler violence. The UN reports six violent settler attacks on Palestinians per day this year. FMO welcomes the British Government’s declaration that there is ethnic cleansing perpetrated by settlers in the West Bank and that occupation is unlawful. “We agree that Britain’s leadership cannot be silent in the face of deep injustice, nor is it powerless. It is an important day and a long overdue moment marking the beginning of a new approach, one that not only calls out injustice and suffering but that acts. “This is a first step towards justice and accountability for Palestinians, in Gaza and the West Bank. Britain will put pressure on the Israeli government to address the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and will respect and support the ICJ. “Great Britain can lead nations by acting for peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis whilst nurturing strong and respectful inter-community dialogue within these shores,” the statement concluded.
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