Delegates at Sderot police station, where rockets fired at Sderot from Gaza are stored
Shadow International Development Secretary Ivan Lewis MP led, last week, a delegation to Israel and the Palestinian territories. Ivan Lewis was joined by Derek Twigg MP and LFI Vice Chair and International Development Committee member Michael McCann MP on the visit. The delegates explored Israel’s development projects overseas, and held meetings on Palestinian state building efforts, the peace process and Israeli-Palestinian coexistence projects.
The delegates met with Israeli Deputy (acting) Foreign Minister Ze’ev Elkin, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, spokesperson for the Israeli prime minister Mark Regev, and Palestinian Foreign Minister Dr Riyad al-Maliki. They discussed the current regional political and security situation, and voiced support for international efforts to encourage a resumption of negotiations. They also met with British Ambassador Matthew Gould, senior Israeli journalists, communities living under the threat of Hamas rocket fire, as well as Israeli Labor party Members of the Knesset Isaac Herozg, Hilik Bar and Stav Shaffir.
During the visit, the MPs held a range of meetings with senior British officials about UK expenditure in the Palestinian territories; Israeli officials and practitioners of MASHAV, Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation; and Israeli and Palestinian doctors working and training together in Jerusalem.