PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Palestinians: Human Rights (26 November 2018)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Human Rights Watch's report entitled Two Authorities, One Way, what support his Department provides to civic society groups in the West Bank whose abuse by the Palestinian Authority has been detailed in that report.

Asked by:
Wes Streeting (Labour)

The UK continues to support civil society groups who are non-violently resisting the occupation. The UK funded a project in the 2017/2018 financial year which supported civil society to advocate changes to the Press and Publication Law. This amended law is currently at its third reading in the Palestinian Authority (PA) Cabinet and we continue to push for its adoption. The Human Rights Watch report has made some serious and concerning allegations about human rights violations by the PA and we have raised our concerns with the Palestinian Ministry of Interior. Officials from our Consulate-General in Jerusalem continue to urge the PA to respect human rights, and have stressed the need to ensure freedom of speech, association and assembly.

Answered by:
Alistair Burt (Conservative)
29 November 2018