UK MPs call for cancellation of London real estate event over Israeli settlement links
Over 100 UK parliamentarians demand the cancellation of an Israeli property expo in London, fearing it facilitates land sales in illegal West Bank settlements.
More than 100 UK lawmakers have called for the cancellation of an Israeli real estate event scheduled for Sunday in London, which appears to advertise land sales in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. In a letter sent to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper on Friday, 101 MPs and members of the House of Lords warned the event is "firmly embedded in Israel’s project of colonial expansion by facilitating the sale of land that has been stolen from Palestinians." They urged the government to take "all necessary steps" to stop the event.
Signatories include Labour MPs Andy McDonald and Debbie Abrahams, co-chairs of the British-Palestine all-party parliamentary group. London Mayor Sadiq Khan also raised concerns, saying he discussed the event with the Metropolitan Police.
Earlier this week, the UK and other Western powers announced sanctions on six firms and one individual for enabling a recent surge in settler violence in the West Bank. However, they stopped short of banning trade with illegal settlements, as over 140 Labour MPs had demanded.
Civil society groups including Amnesty International UK, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, and the Muslim Association of Britain also called on the government to cancel the event. The London expo is the final stop of an international roadshow that advertised land in West Bank settlements, inviting attendees to "explore the best Anglo neighbourhoods" and find their "dream home."
Organizers deny the event will feature West Bank land for sale, calling the allegations "ridiculous" and "motivated by anti-Israeli and terrorist supporters." A spokesperson told the Jewish News that all exhibitors will provide information about properties within the Green Line.
The 2025 event website, which mentioned Gush Etzion, has been taken down, and references to Gush Etzion on the 2026 page were removed after public concerns. The event is private, invitation-only, with free admission, and includes consultants on insurance, tax, and mortgages. It also features a map without delineation of Gaza, the West Bank, or Syria's Golan Heights.
The event comes amid unprecedented settler violence in the West Bank and a Western coalition calling for an end to settlement construction. Amnesty International's Kristyan Benedict said: "Given the significant escalation in annexation measures and state-backed settler violence, it is unthinkable that the UK government could allow an event promoting settlement expansion." He added, "This isn’t a property fair. It’s apartheid and annexation with a sales pitch."
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign launched a petition urging the Home Secretary to prevent the event and prosecute those "enabling the sale of stolen Palestinian land."
A government spokesperson reiterated that Israeli settlements are illegal under international law and harm the two-state solution. The UK imposed sanctions on seven organizations supporting illegal settlers in October 2024 and on two Israeli ministers in June 2025. The spokesperson added: "Expansion in the West Bank is wrong. We will be bringing forward updated guidance in the coming days, giving greater clarity to UK businesses on how to avoid ventures which support these illegal settlements."
