Letter to the Financial Times from Sir Vincent Fean and 60 other former British Ambassadors and former High Commissioners 24 April 2026 America is indeed falling out of love with Israel (Opinion, April 22). So is Europe. While the world watches Iran and Lebanon, Israel extends control over the West Bank and Gaza. Its accelerating…
By Menachem Klein 28 Aug 2025 In summary: Unprecedented war and devastation: Since 7 Oct 2023 the Israel–Gaza war has reached catastrophic levels of destruction, displacement and casualties;. Mainstream Israeli discourse now openly embraces genocidal language and policies once confined to extremist fringes, normalising dehumanisation of Palestinians. Structural shifts before the war: Israel consolidated a…
Over 50 British former diplomats and UN officials have signed a letter to the Prime Minister, urging the UK to recognise Palestinian statehood: Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer KCB KC MP Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Cc: Rt Hon David Lammy MP, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs 23 July 2025 …
Oral statement to Parliament 21 July 2025 With permission, Mr Deputy Speaker, I would like to make a statement on the Middle East. I’ll begin on Syria. We have been horrified by the recent violence in the south, including civilian deaths. Clashes between Druze and Bedouin militias have quickly escalated into intense fighting between government…
9 June 2025 In a letter to the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, 96 UK parliamentarians have demanded sanctions on Israel for war crimes against Palestinians and systematic violations of international law, including imposing targeted sanctions, a ban on trade with illegal settlements, and a suspension of the existing UK-Israel trade agreement. Here is the…
From: The Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street, and Sir Keir Starmer, Prime Minister 19 May 2025 ‘We strongly oppose the expansion of Israel’s military operations in Gaza. The level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable. Yesterday’s announcement that Israel will allow a basic quantity of food into Gaza is wholly inadequate. We call on…
Joint statement on the humanitarian situation in Gaza delivered by the British Ambassador to the United Nations, Barbara Woodward, on behalf of Denmark, France, Greece, Slovenia and the United Kingdom. From: the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Dame Barbara Woodward Published; 13 May 2025 We, the UK, Denmark, France, Greece and Slovenia, called for today’s urgent…
On 29 April, 2025, at the first official visit of Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa to the United Kingdom, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed setting out a package of support, including more than £100m directed to humanitarian relief, support for Palestinian economic development and strengthening Palestinian Authority governance and reform. This UK funding is explicitly made to…
The report British Military Collaboration with Israel (January 2025), published by the British Palestinian Committee, examines the extent of the United Kingdom’s military ties with Israel and their implications under international law. It argues that the UK’s support – through arms exports, military logistics, and intelligence cooperation – contributes to Israel’s military operations in Gaza…
During the First World War, Britain promised the Arabs of the Ottoman-ruled Middle East an independent state in exchange for revolting against the Ottomans. The British changed course soon after, breaking their promise to the Arabs, and paving a way for the creation of a Jewish state on Palestinian lands. In this intervew with The…
Richard Burden and Dr Phyllis Starkey, both former Labour MPs and both Balfour Project Trustees, set out eight targets for Keir Starmer’s Government to restore balance to UK policy. This entails more effective measures with regards to Israel and affirmation of the Palestinian right to self-determination. Political parties across Europe and in the USA have failed…
Click here to download this as a Word document. Preamble Labour Party election manifesto, 2024 “Palestinian statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people. It is not in the gift of any neighbour and is also essential to the long-term security of Israel. We are committed to recognising a Palestinian state as a contribution…
Government statements and parliamentary motions and debates, October 2023 to December 2024.
In our statement of 13 October on war crimes in Israel and in Gaza, we mentioned that the Balfour Project charity has submitted evidence to the Commons Foreign Affairs Ctee inquiry into the UK’s engagement with the Middle East and N Africa. The specific question posed is “What is the viability of a two-state solution…
Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill Volume 836: debated on Tuesday 20 February 2024 Download text https://hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/2024-02-20/debates/1906FBFC-C909-4322-8F64-AFCD6C706E31/EconomicActivityOfPublicBodies(OverseasMatters)Bill Previous debate Second Reading Relevant document: 4th Report from the Constitution Committee. Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland Legislative Consent sought; King’s consent sought. Moved by Baroness Neville-Rolfe That the Bill be now read a second time.…
Sir Vincent Fean writes: There are over forty British volunteer friendship and twinning groups with Palestine, from Dundee to Camden, from Sheffield to Bradford on Avon. To see the full list, please visit www.twinningwithpalestine.net, the attractive website of the Britain Palestine Friendship and Twinning Network. The groups are diverse. Some link a community here with…
Sir Vincent Fean writes: Every month, the UN Security Council discusses developments in the Middle East, including Palestine/Israel. As a permanent member of the Security Council, the UK makes a statement at each session. The latest statement can be found here and is reproduced below. Remarkably, the 27 July statement condemns Israeli Government policy on…
Published 21 March 2023 Signed at One Carlton Gardens, London, on 21 March 2023 For the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Of the State of Israel For the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Vision The bilateral relationship has never been stronger. Our two countries complement each…
Netanyahu and Sunak – Letter in The Times, 28 March 2023 On Friday Rishi Sunak welcomed Benjamin Netanyahu, and stressed the importance of upholding shared “democratic values, including in the proposed judicial reforms in Israel”. Mr Netanyahu went home and sacked his Defence Minister for opposing those reforms, which demolish the checks and balances protecting…
Mark Seddon of Deep Dive Palestine is live with Andrew Whitley, founder & executive director of Geo-Political Advisory Services (GPAS) & Chair of the Balfour Project. Andrew has had an expansive career first as a journalist for the BBC & Financial Times, before serving as the New York Director of UNRWA & then as Policy…
Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council meeting on the Situation in the Middle East, Nov 28, 2022 ‘The UK is gravely concerned by increasing instability in the West Bank and Jerusalem. Since 14 November, four Israelis have lost their lives in terror attacks in the city of Ariel and in Jerusalem,…
Statement by UK Ambassador James Kariuki at the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East Let me start by welcoming the two-year anniversary of the Abraham Accords this month. The Abraham Accords are a historic milestone that bring us closer to the goal of shared prosperity and peace throughout the region. As…
Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the Security Council briefing on the situation in Gaza The United Kingdom joins fellow Council Members in welcoming the ceasefire in Gaza announced last night (August 8, 2022). We express our thanks to Egypt, Qatar and the office of UN Special Coordinator, Tor Wennesland, for their mediation efforts. We…
Statement by British Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East The UK shares the concerns expressed around this [Security Council] table about the fragile situation in Jerusalem. It is crucial that all parties take urgent steps to reduce tensions, and avoid further escalation. Jerusalem is a…
Statement by British Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council Delivered, March 22, 2022 Let me start by once again reinforcing the need to prevent a return to the violence we witnessed in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories last year. We share concerns about the escalating tensions in the West Bank, including East…
Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the Security Council briefing on the Middle East Peace Process – Published 19 January 2022 Thank you Madam President. Before I start I’d like to stress, as my Foreign Secretary has said, the United Kingdom condemns in the strongest terms the terrorist attacks of 17 January, claimed by the…
By Avi Shlaim, published in Middle East Eye on 30 November 2021. As long as its political opponents are labelled ‘terrorists’, Israel is absolved from the need to negotiate and gets a free pass from its allies to continue using naked military force. British Home Secretary Priti Patel has declared her intention to proscribe the…
European Parliamentarians, including British MPs and Peers, have written to the Foreign Secretary calling for Government action to dissuade Israel from three “red line” actions:– designating six Palestinian civil society organisations as “terrorist”– evicting Palestinian families from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah, East Jerusalem and– advancing plans to build a new illegal settlement on E1,…
Statement by UK Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the Security Council Briefing on the Middle East Delivered at the UN on September 29, 2021 Madam President, the United Kingdom welcomes recent engagement between the Israeli Government and the Palestinian leadership, including the meeting between Palestinian President Abbas and Israeli Defence Minister Gantz on 29 August. We…
Statement by UK Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the Security Council briefing on the Middle East Delivered on 30 August 2021. Let me start by once again reinforcing the need to prevent a further escalation in violence in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories and to restore calm. We share concerns about the recent tensions in…
Balfour Project statement, 26 May 2021 Equal rights under the law are the foundation stone of all democracies. Israel views itself as a democracy. But many in Israel and around the world, including in Britain, were dismayed by the Knesset’s adoption in 2018 of the discriminatory Nation State Law. This declares that the right to…
Speaking at the Balfour Project online 2-day conference “Israel/Palestine: in search of the rule of law” on 25/26 May 2021 Click here to view the other speakers at the conference. Sir Vincent Fean: Good day, everybody. And welcome to our 1200 plus attendees at this conference. I speak today for the Balfour Project charity, which…
Speaking at the Balfour Project online 2-day conference “Israel/Palestine: in search of the rule of law” on 25/26 May 2021. Click here to view the other speakers at the conference. Dominic Grieve QC: Now it’s my great pleasure to introduce Philippe Sands. Philippe, good afternoon to you. Good to see you. I don’t think you…
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This piece, by John McHugo, a Balfour Project Trustee and head of its Fellowship Programme, was published by The Independent. As the dust settles on the latest Israel/Palestinian conflict, and the blood of innocents and perpetrators dries indifferently, the great fear is that no lessons will be learned. Everything can go back to “normal”. Israel’s settlement and…
Written by Sir Vincent Fean for the Arab Digest Just when you think it can’t get any worse – it does. Déjà vu, only worse. It is the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, as I used to describe it in my time as Consul-General, Jerusalem (2010-14). Today, the word ‘conflict’ hardly fits, because the Occupation is so lop-sided.…