Khan Opposes London Event Promoting West Bank Settlement Property

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said Friday he opposes a London event that critics say promotes the sale of land and property in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The event, billed as the “Great Israeli Real Estate Event,” is scheduled for Sunday in the British capital and is organized by the real estate agency My Home in Israel. Khan made the comments during a Mayor’s Question Time session.

Khan said Israeli settlements in the West Bank are “unjustifiable and illegal under international law,” and he condemned attempts to sell property in those settlements, whether in London or elsewhere. He linked settlement activity to the displacement of Palestinians.

Khan was responding to a question from UK Green Party leader Zack Polanski. He said he had discussed the event with London’s Metropolitan Police.

Police review and questions over legality

Khan said the Metropolitan Police would assess any allegations of criminality connected to potentially unlawful property sales at the event as part of an investigation. He did not provide further details on what the police assessment could involve.

Rights groups, including Amnesty International, have criticized the event for advertising sales linked to settlements and for encouraging settlement expansion. A representative from Amnesty International UK said it was “unthinkable” for the UK government to allow an event that promotes such activity.

Settlement growth and international view

International bodies, including the United Nations, and most countries consider Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law. Israel began building settlements after capturing the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the June 1967 Six-Day War.

More than 700,000 Israeli settlers live in about 150 settlements and 128 outposts across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, according to figures cited in the report. The developments have long been a core issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The event in London has drawn renewed scrutiny to how overseas property marketing intersects with the wider diplomatic and legal disputes around settlement expansion.