Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the responses they receive from the government of Israel when they have raised reports of violations of (1) human rights, and (2) international law, by that government with that government; what assessment they have made of the UK Government’s policy of raising concerns directly with that government about such reports; and what steps they are taking, if any, to review that policy.

The UK is a close friend of Israel and we enjoy an excellent bilateral relationship, built on decades of cooperation between our two countries across a range of fields. While we do not hesitate to express disagreement with Israel whenever we feel it necessary, we believe that open and honest discussions best support our efforts to help progress in the peace process and achieve a negotiated solution. There is frequent high-level engagement between the UK and Israel and we have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation at all levels. We will continue to do so.