Real estate event in London ‘advertised sale of land in illegal Israeli settlements’

An Israeli real estate event in north London appears to have advertised the sale of land in Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, despite previous denials that illegal settlement properties would be marketed at the event.Pamphlets shared with the Guardian from the event on Sunday showed real estate projects in Ma’ale Adumim, Givat Ze’ev, Kfar Eldad and Teneh Omarim in the occupied West Bank, as well as Ramat Eshkol and Givat Hamatos in East Jerusalem.The event was held after more than 100 UK lawmakers as well as civil society organisations had called for its cancellation, saying it was inconsistent with the government’s obligations under international law as well as guidance on settlement-related economic activity.Pamphlets advertising the Great Real Estate Event in London. Photograph: Jewish Anti-Zionist Action“There is a prima facie case at the very least that people were advertising land in illegal settlements and that is contrary to law, and the government needs to act,” said Andy McDonald MP, co-chair of the British-Palestine all-party parliamentary group.Last week, McDonald wrote a letter to the foreign secretary signed by 101 politicians saying that the event was “embedded in Israel’s project of colonial expansion” and calling on the government to stop it from going ahead.Concerns were also raised beforehand by the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, who spoke to the Metropolitan police and said he was informed that any allegations of criminality over the unlawful sale of property at the event would be assessed with a view to investigation.The Met declined to comment.The London event was the final stop in a series of international roadshows – after Toronto and New York – which had appeared to advertise the sale of land in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, and invited individuals to “explore the best Anglo neighbourhoods” and find their “dream home”.A real estate project in the West Bank Israeli settlement of Givat Ze’ev, pictured in 2023, was among those that featured in event pamphlets. Photograph: Ohad Zwigenberg/APThe event had invited people to register their interest in Gush Etzion, an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank, which the UK government considers an illegal settlement.Organisers had previously denied claims that the event would feature land for sale in the West Bank, calling the allegations “ridiculous” and “motivated by anti-Israeli and terrorist supporters”, and said exhibitors would provide information about properties and projects within the green line.On Tuesday, organisers apologised for the “error” in event brochures, after concerns were raised in parliament.“No one at the event promoted or spoke about properties in the ‘disputed territories’, such as Givat Ze’ev or Kfar Eldad. Their mention in the event brochure was made in error for which we apologise,” organisers told the Jewish News.The website for the 2025 event that mentioned Gush Etzion has since been taken down, while mention of the settlement on the 2026 event page was removed after concerns were raised publicly. It also included a map of the territory featuring no delineation of Gaza and the occupied West Bank, as well as Syria’s Golan Heights.“How is it that this government fails even to prevent the marketing of illegal property in this country and still fails to take action?” Ellie Chowns asked the foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, in the Commons on Tuesday.It is understood that the Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer wrote to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) on Sunday, requesting that evidence of advertising or promoting property in illegal settlements be scrutinised under UK law.“We have asked them now to urgently look into this,” Cooper said on Tuesday. “It is extremely important that those standards are met in the UK, and that is exactly why we have raised this so seriously with the ASA.”The ASA told the Guardian it had received the letter from the government, but had not received any advertising complaints. The ASA also said it did not have a position on the law in this area and referred the matter to the government.An Israeli journalist reports from a protest outside the real estate event in north London on Sunday. Photograph: Denise Baker/Getty ImagesMcDonald said the government’s reference to the ASA was “wholly inappropriate and completely inadequate”, and called on ministers to investigate whether there was a case under English and Welsh law to prosecute any British companies involved.Amnesty International UK said the government’s decision to refer the matter to the ASA was “a ridiculous gimmick that fails to understand the devastation Israeli settlements cause for Palestinians”.McDonald added: “You would not accept anybody offering settlement lands in the Donbas in the United Kingdom. The government would, quite rightly, come down on that like a ton of bricks.“We appear to be completely inconsistent in applying international humanitarian law when it comes to Israel’s egregious behaviours, and that is why so many people in this country are angry and losing faith in the current leadership.”The event in London took place as settler violence in the West Bank has reached unprecedented levels, and as a coalition of western countries – including the UK, France, Canada, Germany and Italy – called for an end to the construction of Israeli settlements it says breach international law.Last week, the UK, along with other western powers, announced it was imposing sanctions on six firms and one individual for enabling and financing the recent surge in settler violence in the West Bank.However, it fell short of banning trade with illegal Israeli settlements, something that more than 140 Labour MPs, including the chairs of every Labour-led select committee, called on the government to do earlier this month .“They’re not inflicting any pain on Israel sufficient to get them to change course,” said McDonald. “We don’t have to be complicit in it, we can set out the standards that we adhere to and not murderous war crimes being perpetrated in the Middle East.”Dora, who asked to withhold her surname, attended Sunday’s event undercover with other members of the group Jewish Anti-Zionist Action. “I went in there with the objective of collecting evidence of illegal land sale,” she said.After being kicked out of the event, she joined a protest outside the venue, during which 14 people were arrested.“Condemnation from the government is just never enough,” she added. “Nothing’s going to change if there’s no foreign intervention, if there’s no sanctions, if there’s nothing material.”It is understood that the Charity Commission has not opened a compliance case or a statutory inquiry into the incident. A spokesperson said: “We are assessing concerns raised with us about an event held at a synagogue affiliated with United Synagogue. Our assessment will determine what regulatory role there is, if any, for the commission. In line with our guidance, the charity has submitted a serious incident report relating to concerns raised about the event.”A source at the synagogue said the event was a third-party hire and due diligence beforehand confirmed that all properties being marketed were legal in English law. They added that trustees were fully aware of their legal responsibilities, and all of the proper checks were applied.