To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on the demolition of the village of Susiya in the West Bank.
Answered on
7 September 2015
The Government is a strong supporter of the community in Susiya and officials have visited regularly to see the situation on the ground. Our Consul-General in Jerusalem visited Susiya, alongside the other EU Heads of Missions, most recently on 22 July, to make clear our serious concerns about the proposed demolition.
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), urged Israel to refrain from taking steps which worsened prospects for a two state solution during his visit on 16 July. On 21 June, our Ambassador in Tel Aviv raised planning issues in Area C and the Bedouin community in E1 with the Israeli National Security Advisor. The Ambassador also raised the issue with the Head of the Israeli Office for the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories, Gen. Mordechai; Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director, Ushpiz; Deputy Foreign Minister, Hotovely; Cabinet Secretary, Mandelblit; and Zionist Union leaders, Isaac Herzog and Tzipi Livni, stressing that there would be very sharp international reactions against a demolition.