The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP), in collaboration with the European Legal Support Center (ELSC) and Public Interest Law Centre (PILC), has written to the Metropolitan police asking them to assess the legal issues in relation to a London edition of the Great Israeli Real Estate event under the Serious Crime Act and if appropriate apply for a Serious Crime Prevention Order on 14 June.
ICJP previously issued a letter to the Met calling for an immediate investigation into the legality of the event and those associated with the event under UK domestic law, providing the Met with an overview of the event’s illegality.
The Great Israeli Real Estate event is one of a number of events aimed at marketing and facilitating the purchase of property in both illegal Israeli settlements located in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and cities within Israel.
According to promotional material, the event will feature consultants offering advice on property acquisitions, advertising properties as “your dream home” and providing support for:
important life planning needs in Israel, including burial services.
The Serious Crime Prevention Order letter serves as an urgent escalation in light of the imminence of the event and ICJP has stressed the time-sensitive nature of the situation.
This is yet another attempt to ensure the police uphold their obligations to investigate events of this nature without bias and take available legal measures accordingly.
Israeli property event demands urgent attention
The matters raised in the letter require immediate consideration of investigative steps, preservation of evidence, and assessment of whether preventative or enforcement action may be appropriate within the jurisdiction of England and Wales.
ICJP has raised grounds for concern of the event’s potential illegality under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2022 (ss. 327–329), the Fraud Act 2006 (s. 1), and the Serious Crime Act 2007.
As ICJP has previously noted, the UK government maintains that Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are unlawful under international law.
The International Court of Justice’s July 2024 Advisory Opinion reinforced this position. It concluded that Israel’s continued presence in the territory is unlawful and that third states are under obligations not to recognise or assist in maintaining the resulting situation.
Órlaith Roe, ICJP’s public affairs and communications officer, said:
This order sets out further evidence of the serious concerns surrounding the illegality of this event, concerns we have already raised with the Metropolitan police.
Palestinian land is not for sale, and occupation is not a real estate opportunity.
This event seeks to profit from a settlement enterprise that the UK itself recognises as illegal under international law. We have provided the Met with the evidence. The responsibility now lies with the authorities to act and prevent this event from going ahead.
Featured image via Getty Images
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