Israel’s unlawful war of choice against Iran, and its continued destructive military occupation of and assaults on Gaza and the West Bank, mean Britain must take concrete action to protect the State of Palestine it recognised last autumn.
The emergency measures Israel enforces during wartime seriously intensify the already severe disruption the illegal occupation brings to Palestinians. But they also enshrine structural changes that aim to reshape the Palestinian landscape permanently.
Sir Vincent Fean says: ‘The US is traditionally the broker between Palestinians and Israelis. I’m afraid that… it’s not an honest broker and that Britain and Europe and the wider world need to look to themselves for a way forward between Israel and Palestine.’
The BPP argues that Britain must take the lead in opposing Israel’s scheme to divide into two separate entities: the northern and southern sections of the illegally occupied West Bank.
Encounters in Palestine during my visit in January 2026, by Miranda Pinch.
Andrew Whitley recalls the essential work UNRWA and its largely Palestinian staff did for their beleaguered fellows and families in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, and remembers its Sheikh Jarrah HQ – now torn down by Israel’s wrecking squads.
The Israeli army has confirmed the Gazan death toll of 70,000, after consistently denying such levels of slaughter. How, asks BPP Executive Director Brian Brivati, can ordinary Israelis absorb this figure and just look away?
The BPP Executive Director, Dr Brian Brivati, argues that most of the international legal questions raised by “Trump’s Board of Peace” (BoP) and the related National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), flow from the BoP Charter, which purports to supply authority for Gaza’s transitional governance while also gesturing toward a far broader conflict-resolution role.
On the 108th anniversary of Balfour, the lesson that should be heeded is the same one that anti-colonial voices have argued for decades: “Nothing about us, without us.”
Introduction by Andrew Whitley, Chair, Britain Palestine Project, to a New Yorker essay by Mohammed Mhawish, a Gazan journalist and writer living in exile after his home was destroyed in the war and he was forced to flee.
If the world is serious about peace, it must be serious about sovereignty: political, legal, and economic. That means not just ending the war but enabling Palestinians to own the peace.
On Monday 22 September, Britain Palestine Project trustee Sir Vincent Fean joined Trevor Phillips on Times Radio’s The Times at One to discuss the UK’s recognition of the State of Palestine. Sir Vincent stressed that recognition cannot be a symbolic gesture alone – it must be backed by decisive measures grounded in international law. He highlighted…
Sunday 21st September 2025 Dear Friends Recognition is the beginning The statement below sets out the Britain Palestine Project’s considered view on the UK’s recognition of the State of Palestine. Recognition is a vital first step, but it must be given real meaning through action. Britain’s historic responsibilities, and its obligations as a permanent member…
By Dr Brian Brivati, Executive Director, Britain Palestine Project (writing in a personal capacity) 12 Sept 2025 In the 1930s, British soldiers smashed down the door of a family home in Nablus and struck the mother inside with a rifle butt. Her young son, Munib Rashid al-Masri, never forgot the sight of her blood. Eight…
Fourteen Palestinians have launched a legal petition directed at the British Government, challenging it to account for Britain’s systematic breaches of international law during its occupation of Palestine.
Our beloved Awdah was taken from us too soon, but his vision and commitment to Umm al-Khair live on. As his family and community, we are determined to continue the projects he began and to stay connected with friends and supporters around the world. Here you’ll find ways to remember Awdah, support his family, and…
By Dr Brian Brivati, Executive Director of BPP 15 August 2025 The day after Trump’s inauguration, the IDF launched a new military operation in the West Bank. The main target of Operation Iron Wall (an unambiguous reference to the policy of extending the borders of the Jewish state by military force – see p.32) was…
By Dr Brian Brivati, Executive Director, Britain Palestine Project 6 Aug 2025 Israel appears poised to escalate policies that could irrevocably undermine the prospects for an independent Palestinian state – making robust international pressure more critical than ever. In recent weeks, some of Israel’s closest allies have signalled unprecedented steps to push for a policy…
Our charity has long argued for the unconditional recognition of the state of Palestine alongside Israel – an acknowledgment of the inherent right to self-determination of the Palestinian people and a long overdue expression of Britain’s commitment to equal rights for both peoples. We must welcome yesterday’s announcement by the Prime Minister that Britain will…
Dr Brian Brivati, Executive Director, Britain Palestine Project 24 July 2025 The Britain Palestine Project (BPP) welcomes the Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC) report on the Israel–Palestine conflict (HC 488) as a significant, constructive intervention on United Kingdom policy. This cross-party report arrives at a critical moment with the confirmation by President Macron that France will recognise…
Britain Palestine Project Trustee Bishop Michael Doe wrote the following letter to the Church Times, which was published on 4 July 2025 Madam As the Board of Deputies of British Jews continues to punish any of its members who make public criticism of Israel’s conduct of the Gaza War, surely the time has come for the Christian churches…
By Dr Brian Brivati Executive Director, Britain Palestine Project 22 July 2025 The statement by the British Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, on 21 July 2025 – issued alongside a new statement from 28 other nations calling for an immediate Gaza ceasefire– struck a notably sharp tone against Israel’s Gaza offensive. The foreign ministers decried Israel’s…
As a charity dedicated to equal rights, justice and security for Israelis and Palestinians, and education about Britain’s historical legacy in Palestine, the BPP calls on the UK Government to live up to its obligations under international law, including under the 1948 Genocide Convention. Below we outline a series of measures that the Government could…
Tim Llewellyn, BPP website editor, summarises a powerful indictment of Israel’s international law violations at cultural and religious sites across Palestine. 25 June 2025 The special United Nations body investigating Israel’s illegal occupation of the Palestinian territory has condemned Israel for repeated war crimes during its attacks on Gaza since 7 Oct 2023. Concentrating on…
By Andrew Whitley BPP Chair 20 May 2025 This 19 May 2025 joint statement represents a noticeable hardening and clarification of UK policy on several fronts. In the months leading up to it, the Starmer Government had already set a different tone from its predecessor – calling unequivocally for a Gaza ceasefire, suspending some arms…
By Phyllis Starkey, former MP and BPP deputy chair 14 May, 2025 Earlier this week a group of 69 Labour MPs and six Labour peers published a letter they had sent to the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, calling on him to recognise Palestine in concert with France, at the planned Franco-Saudi summit in July. This…
In the past month, the United Kingdom has taken two notable diplomatic steps on Palestine. First, on 1 May, 2025, British lawyers in The Hague made a legal submission to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that echoed previous submissions and statements and strongly defended international humanitarian law in Gaza. They argued that Israel, as…
The Britain-Palestine Project (BPP) welcomes the signing of the UK-Palestine Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Cooperation[1] as an important step toward deepening the bilateral relationship. The MoU prioritises humanitarian support, democratic renewal and a renewed commitment to a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders. We commend the UK’s support for humanitarian relief, adherence to…
When Macron recognises Palestine, Starmer must follow suit Labour has consistently delayed recognising a Palestinian state, despite having been elected on a manifesto pledge to do so – it is now a question of international justice and historical accountability, says Sir Vincent Fean Saturday 12 April 2025 This summer, France is expected to align its foreign…
On 13 March 2025, we formally relaunched as the Britain Palestine Project, marking a renewed commitment to advocating for justice, equality, and Britain’s responsibility in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The transition from the Balfour Project to the Britain Palestine Project reflects our mission to hold Britain accountable for its historical obligations and to push for meaningful…
30 Dec 2024 Question: What is the UK’s role in finding a resolution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians? The charity’s aims are educational. It sheds light on Britain’s role and responsibilities from before the 1917 Balfour Declaration through the Mandate period and up to today. It seeks to advance equal rights for Palestinians…
Balfour Project evidence to the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee inquiry Submitted 30 Dec 2024 I hope you can find time to read the evidence we have submitted to the Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC) inquiry into UK policy on Palestine/Israel. It is here and there is a link below, with the FAC’s permission. If you agree…
By Richard Burden 12 Feb 2025 Last month, I wrote about the haunting photo of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya standing alone and unarmed in front of advancing Israeli tanks amid ruins around his hospital in Gaza. I called the post “What courage looks like.” Soon after the photo was taken, Dr Abu Safiya was abducted by Israeli…
By Andrew Whitley, Balfour Project Chair 10 February 2025 The Balfour Project believes that no solution proposed by the Trump administration will accord with international law, which the UK is committed to uphold The United States is essential to a just resolution in Israel/Palestine. But it has long been clear that Washington is not an…
By Andrew Whitley Chair, Balfour Project 30 Jan 2025 For millions of Palestinians worldwide, 30 Jan 2025 is set to become yet another painful landmark in their long struggle for self-determination. As of this date, Israel hopes to sever the umbilical cord which ties the Palestinian refugees to their ancestral homeland and, in the process,…
How the Balfour Project grew to be influential in helping people learn about the tragic conflict in Israel/Palestine.