The DelegationIn an attempt to explore the current situation of Palestinians living inside Israel and the occupied West Bank, the Middle East Monitor (MEMO) and Friends of Al-Aqsa organised a small parliamentary delegation to the region. The delegation toured some of the most troubled hotspots in the area, including Silwan where at least 88 Palestinian houses are currently subject to Israeli demolition orders; Hebron where Israeli militarisation and settler violence has devastated the neighbourhood; and the Negev Desert in Israel where the Palestinian Bedouin are subjected to consistent efforts to wipe them and their villages off the map.
The programme was intense and fast-paced and highlighted the many and varied ways by which Palestinians face intimidation by the Israeli regime on a daily basis. Every aspect of Palestinians’ lives is affected by Israel’s occupation, through arbitrary arrests (followed frequently by allegations of torture); the demolition of Palestinian homes; the arrest and interrogation of children; the racist apartheid-style checkpoints; the illegal apartheid wall; and many other oppressive measures used by Israel to subjugate a people under occupation. This journey brought home to the delegation just how urgent it is for the international community to mobilise itself and bring the occupation to an end.
In addition to meeting with local Palestinians and hearing about their daily struggles under the occupation the delegation also met with both sides of the Palestinian political spectrum, including members and representatives of Fatah and Hamas.
The delegation consisted of British members of parliament Mr Jeremy Corbyn (Labour party) and Mr Andrew Slaughter (Labour Party), accompanied by Seumas Milne (columnist and Associate Editor of the Guardian), Jenny Ousbey (journalist) and Dr Hanan Chehata (Press Officer for the Middle East Monitor). It took place between 5th – 9th November and was coordinated by Lubna Masarwa.
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