MPs demand WTM remove Israeli settlement exhibitors before London event opens

Fifteen Members of Parliament sent a letter to the British government on Monday requesting immediate intervention at the World Travel Market in London. The trade show, scheduled to run from November 3 to November 5, features a stand operated by the Israeli government's tourist office. This stand includes iTravelJerusalem, a promotional arm of the Jerusalem Development Authority. The JDA is a statutory agency that manages development projects in the city.

The lawmakers are concerned because the JDA has been heavily involved in building settlements on occupied Palestinian territory. They want the government to contact event organizers and require the removal of exhibitors and promotional materials that facilitate or promote these illegal settlements. The letter, signed by MPs from multiple parties, asks the Foreign Office to confirm how the government is enforcing the ban on advertising illegal settlements in practice, rather than just in parliamentary statements.

Independent MP Adnan Hussain led the campaign, sending the letter to Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband on Monday. He was joined by Labour MPs John McDonnell and Kim Johnson, as well as former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. All five Green Party MPs also signed the document: Carla Denyer, Ellie Chownes, Hannah Spencer, Sian Berry, and Adrian Ramsay. Independent MPs Shockat Adam, Iqbal Mohamed, and Ayoub Khan, along with Scottish National Party MP Chris Law, also added their names.

The letter argues that the government's position is inconsistent if it condemns the forced displacement of Palestinians while allowing organizations implicated in that process to promote their work at a major international event. The writers state that the government cannot credibly identify ethnic cleansing in the occupied Palestinian territory and commit to prohibiting the promotion of illegal settlements while permitting such organizations to use a London venue for promotion.

A 2025 report by the Office of the European Union Representative for the West Bank and Gaza Strip details specific JDA plans. It notes that the agency planned to evict approximately 40 Palestinian families from the Umm Haroun compound in Sheikh Jarrah to construct a 320-unit settlement. In 2020, the Israeli government approved a JDA project to build a cable car in Jerusalem, which would involve uprooting trees and displacing water, sewage, and telecommunications infrastructure. The JDA also plans a large settlement housing project next to the Palestinian community of Beit Safafa in East Jerusalem.

Hussam Zomlot, the Palestinian ambassador to Britain, responded to the revelation of the WTM stand last Thursday. He stated that Israeli companies guilty of ethnic cleansing would be platformed at the event next week. Zomlot urged the UK government to turn its words into action and ensure that entities complicit in illegal occupation and settlements face real consequences. He emphasized the need to enforce recent commitments.

The British government recognized the occupation of Palestinian territory as illegal and announced comprehensive sanctions on Israeli settlements last month. The MPs in the letter expect an urgent response from the Foreign Secretary setting out specific steps to be taken before the event opens. They warned that a response limited to restating the government's position would not suffice, noting that the question is now whether the government is prepared to act on its stated beliefs.

Middle East Eye reached out to the World Travel Market organizers and the Foreign Office for comment. Neither organization provided a response by the time of publication. The event is set to begin on Tuesday, with the JDA stand scheduled to be open to visitors during the three-day show.