Urgent Question in the House of Commons
Stephen has urged the government to condemn the Israeli authorities after Israeli police fired rubber bullets and stun grenades at Palestinians near the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
Tensions had been rising over the potential eviction of Palestinians from land claimed by Jewish settlers.
Speaking in an Urgent Question in the House of Commons, Stephen asked the Minister for Middle East and North Africa, James Cleverly, if he agreed with hi assessment that the attacks on people praying at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the large number of civilian casualties that resulted, could not be justified. He then asked that the he urge his Israeli counterparts to ensure that there was no repeat of the violence.
The Minister replied “The right hon. Gentleman makes an important point about the ability of the faithful to worship and the importance of the status quo of the holy sites of all religions in Jerusalem. It is the UK Government’s explicit policy that those holy sites need to be protected, and that worshippers should be able to worship in peace and confidence. That will remain the position of our Government.”