Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the treaty establishing diplomatic relations between the government of Israel and the government of the United Arab Emirates on (1) religious sanctuaries in Jerusalem, and (2) the rights of Muslims to pray in that city.

We warmly welcome the agreement between Israel, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. This is an historic step which sees the normalisation of relations between three great friends of the UK. The UK continues to be firmly committed to Freedom of Religion or Belief as a human rights priority. Our Embassy in Tel Aviv and Consulate General in Jerusalem regularly raise issues of religious freedom with the Israeli Government and Palestinian Authority. The UK recognises that Jerusalem holds particular significance for many groups, especially the three Abrahamic faiths, and encourage all parties to ensure the safety and security of the holy sites and all who worship and visit there.