LFI’s chair, Joan Ryan, has today written to the Prime Minister regarding the situation at the Temple Mount. In her letter, she details evidence of incitement perpetrated by the Palestinian Authority over the past 10 days, and writes: “While President Abbas initially condemned the terrorist attack on the Temple Mount, the PA and his political party, Fatah, appear to have subsequently given out decidedly and dangerously mixed messages.” Mrs Ryan calls on Theresa May to take five steps:
- Instruct the Foreign Office and Department for International Development to tell the PA it must cease all incitement. Failure to carry out this request should be met with deep and meaningful cuts in British aid to the PA, with the money instead redirected to coexistence projects and health and education projects in Palestine run by trusted NGOs.
- Immediately publish DfiD’s reviews of the PA’s compliance with the Partnership Principles – particularly that which commits it to the principle of non-violence – which governs the UK’s aid relationship with the PA.
- Establish an independent cross-party review into how UK aid can best support a two-state solution.
- Utilise our close ties with Jordan to help de-escalate the situation.
- Convey to the Israeli government the UK’s sympathies over the loss of life in the ongoing violence and express support for its enhanced security measures at the Temple Mount.