A supporter of Palestine has received this response from the UK Government which clarifies they share our concerns about Israel’s aggression towards Palestinian popular protest:
“Thank you for your letter of 27 March on behalf of your constituent about Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). We are aware of the film “5 Broken Cameras”, about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and I share many of the concerns raised by Mr Gass about Israeli settlement activity and the Israeli Defence Force policing of demonstrations in the West Bank.
The British Government supports the general right to peaceful protest everywhere, including Palestinians’ legitimate right to protest non-violently against the occupation. The UK has repeatedly made clear to Israel, including the IOF, our longstanding concerns about the manner in which the IOF polices non-violent protests, including use of live ammunition. We will continue to do so.
We repeatedly urge Israel to respect its obligations under international law and international humanitarian law. In this context we continue to make clear to the Israeli Government our serious concerns on settlements, demolitions and the treatment of Palestinian prisoners including children. More details can be found in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s annual human rights and democracy report “