Polly has spoken in a parliamentary debate on illegal Israeli settlements, where she called for stronger action – including a ban on the import of settlement goods.
She said:
Earlier this year, I travelled to Israel and the occupied West Bank as part of a cross-party delegation organised by Yachad. On the trip I met survivors of the October 7 attack and Palestinian families driven from their homes and living under daily intimidation from settlers.
Illegal settlements are not simply an obstacle to peace, but a deliberate strategy to make a viable Palestinian state impossible.
I welcome the Government’s decision to recognise the State of Palestine, but recognition cannot simply be symbolic. We have a responsibility to help make that state viable.
That starts with banning trade with illegal settlements.
The UK should not allow goods produced on occupied land to enter our markets, nor should British businesses profit from activity that our own Government says is illegal. We should also suspend trade concessions and sanction any company bidding for contracts to design, finance, or construct illegal settlements such as E1.
There needs to be far greater scrutiny of British money flowing into settlements. No UK charity should retain charitable status while facilitating settlements, and British financial institutions should not be investing in companies sustaining settlement expansion.
There must be accountability when British-funded infrastructure is destroyed. In Khirbet Zanuta, I saw the remains of a school partly funded by UK aid, that was destroyed after sustained settler attacks forced the community to flee. The British Government should seek compensation from the Israeli Government for the destruction of infrastructure funded by UK taxpayers.
Finally, we must support the institutions of the Palestinian state itself.
Representatives of the Palestinian Authority described to me the financial crisis caused by Israel’s withholding of Palestinian tax and tariff revenues. These funds belong to the Palestinian people. We must bring renewed pressure for those revenues to be released in full.
None of these measures are anti-Israel, and the status quo serves nobody. It denies Palestinians freedom and dignity while undermining Israel’s long-term security and entrenching conflict.
Britain has taken a historic first step by recognising the State of Palestine. Now we must match that recognition with practical action. I urge the Government to continue showing leadership, so we can support Palestinian nation-building and keep alive the hope of a just and lasting peace.