Open letter to Israeli Ambassador Tzipi Hotovely in Swiss Cottage

Dear Ms Hotovely,

• YOU have come to live in my ward of Swiss Cottage for which I am a councillor, so I hope you or your staff read our Camden New Journal and will read this.

I have listened to you and your predecessor Mark Regev on Radio 4 attempting to defend the indefensible, namely the proposed eviction of Palestinians from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah in occupied East Jerusalem, the invasion of the Al-Aqsa mosque by Israeli police and soldiers firing tear gas and stun grenades and rubber bullets while Muslims were worshipping in Ramadan, and the prevention of Palestinians moving about the city, not only Muslims but also Palestinian Christians attempting to celebrate orthodox Easter.

All this has resulted in hundreds of casualties and some deaths.

You have said that the evictions will be decided by the Israeli courts, but you don’t seem to have listened to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, OHCHR, which has declared that the evictions would violate Israel’s obligations under international law and may amount to a war crime.

It adds that Israeli property laws cannot be imposed on the occupied territories, and are being applied in a discriminatory manner based on the nationality or origin of the owner.

I therefore urge you to halt all evictions and end the use of force against civilians.

CLLR SIMON PEARSON
Labour, Swiss Cottage ward