Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that olive trees are being destroyed by Israeli settlers in the West Bank.

We are aware of the difficulties facing Palestinian olive growers. Attacks on olive groves are particularly painful to Palestinians given their status as a national symbol and the sole source of income for many Palestinian farmers. We have expressed our concerns to the Government of Israel and security officials about the destruction of olive trees and the prevention of access to them on a number of occasions. The UK condemns any incidence of violence by settlers against Palestinians. We continue to stress the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population. We urge them to thoroughly investigate every instance and bring those responsible to justice.