I share the concerns of a number of constituents who have contacted me about the arrests of Palestinian children and outrage at the continued detention of 16-year-old Ahed Tamimi in Israel. This practice is in violation of international law and is something that the SNP outright condemns.
The SNP support the European Union position of a two-state solution and we firmly encourage Israel and Palestine to reach a sustainable, negotiated settlement under international law, based on mutual recognition and the determination to coexist peacefully. The SNP have engaged directly with the Israeli and indeed the Palestinian authorities to encourage a two state solution, most notably through a number of visits made by SNP MPs to Israel and Palestine.
The humanitarian situation in Palestine is something that our SNP MPs raise regularly in the chamber. On the 25th of October 2017, Joanna Cherry MP raised the issue during a debate on the Balfour Declaration where she urged the UK Government to make sure that the rights of Palestinians living in the west bank and occupied territories are respected. On the 6th of October 2017, Philippa Whitford MP and Tommy Sheppard MP participated in a debate on Palestinian communities where they expressed their concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and villages that are under threat because of demolition orders.
Rest assured, that we will keep pressuring the UK Government to raise human rights abuses at the highest level and to do everything in their power play a role in bringing a solution to this conflict.