Israeli Settlements In The Occupied Territories

EDM number 366 in 2007-08, proposed by Richard Burden on 22/11/2007.
Categorised under the topics of Housing, Human rights and Middle East.

That this House calls for a complete freeze on all Israeli settlement activity in the Occupied Territories; welcomes the Israeli announcement to partially freeze settlement construction prior to the Annapolis meeting; however, notes that despite the transfer of Israeli civilians into the Occupied Territories being illegal under international law, the Israeli settler population in the West Bank has grown steadily by around 5.5 per cent. each year to a total of 450,000; acknowledges that this is significantly higher than the population growth rate inside Israel (1.8 per cent.); further notes that Israel has failed to take any action to dismantle the 106 outposts which it accepts are unauthorised; calls on the Government to urge Israel to immediately and permanently cease all settlement expansion in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Golan Heights, including construction for so-called natural growth and the construction of infrastructure supporting the settlements, bypass roads and the barrier, and the provision of Government subsidies and other incentives for settlers; regards with serious concern the devastating impact on the Palestinians' freedom of movement caused by the settlements which dissect the West Bank into fragmented enclaves; and considers that the settlements are a serious threat to a viable independent Palestinian state as part of a negotiated two-state solution.

This motion has been signed by a total of 85 MPs, 2 of these signatures have been withdrawn.