Alistair Burt MP
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
King Charles Street
London
SW1A 2AH
28th January 2012
Dear Alistair,
I have recently been made aware of an incursion by the Israeli military into the village of Hamamat Al-Maleh in the northern Jordan Valley.
It is reported that on 17th January 2013 the Israeli military destroyed 55 homes and animal shelters in the region, subsequently declaring the entire village a Closed Military Zone two days later.
Unfortunately this incursion is not a one off event, but instead forms part of a wider campaign to apparently close off the majority of the Jordan Valley from the Palestinian people.
As I am sure you are aware, 57% of the Jordan Valley is now designated as a Closed Military Zone, with one consequence being that residents are in perpetual fear that the Israeli army will use their land for tank or target practice.
A number of my constituents are members of the Jordan Valley Solidarity Campaign. This organisation effectively monitors the actions of the IDF in the Jordan Valley.
I recently hosted a parliamentary meeting to explore what more can be done to support those living in the region.
MPs and peers who attended agreed to look specifically at ways to ensure that aid to the Jordan Valley is effectively deployed so as to best meet the needs of the Palestinian community there rather than arbitrary objectives set out by remote NGOs.
In light of this most recent incursion, I do hope that the urgent need to provide suitable aid to this region is further emphasised.
In the meantime, please would you raise the British government’s concern about the actions of the Israeli military with the authorities and put pressure on them to immediately lift the Closed Military Zone.
I look forward to your response.
Yours sincerely,
Caroline Lucas MP, Brighton Pavilion
Read the ministerial response here
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