CUFI has welcomed the defence of Israel made by MPs in yesterday’s Parliamentary debate in Westminster and invites you to thank those MPs that commented.

The debate was called by the Labour MP Sarah Champion to draw attention to the situation of children arrested by Israeli forces after violent incidents in the West Bank. She said the government must set up a “watchlist” of Israelis who have committed war crimes by detaining and interrogating Palestinian children.

However, a number of MPs responded in support of Israel:

Conservative MP, Andrew Percy, brandished one of 4,000 “terror dolls” seized by Israeli authorities in December that were en-route to the Palestinian territories. 

The doll, about 10 inches tall, wears a keffiyeh covering its face, on which is written in Arabic “Jerusalem is ours”. Clutched in the doll’s right hand is a rock. “This is clearly incitement”, Mr Percy told Jewish News, “but when it was raised in the debate – together with concerns about statements by [President] Abbas, what’s on Palestinian TV or written in Palestinian textbooks – it was dismissed by the other side as irrelevant to their narrative, which is that Israel is an apartheid state committing war crimes. But there is a direct connection between this doll and terrorist violence.”

Labour MP Ian Austin pointed out that Palestinian television promoted anti-Semitism in children’s programmes, citing it as an example of incitement.

Conservative MP John Howell said investigations by Israeli officers were often conducted in Arabic, with an appeals process, and that minors brought before courts were represented by lawyers of their choosing.

The allegations against Israel were “an unfair selection”, Mr Howell said. “We should be drawing our attention to the Saudi execution of minors.”

The Israeli Embassy in the UK issued a statement applauding MPs that challenged incitement of Palestinian youngsters in the debate:

“The State of Israel attaches great importance to strengthening and promoting the protection granted to minors in the military justice system, while simultaneously taking into consideration the unique circumstances and the security situation in the West Bank,” it says.

“We applaud British MPs who in today’s discussion gave voice to the challenge of confronting incitement, a critical prerequisite to achieving peace,” says the Embassy.

“Those who place Palestinian minors at the top of their priorities would do well to include in their discussion the incitement that motivates those minors to commit terrorist acts and to call out those responsible for institutionalized radicalization in the Palestinian territories.”

According to the statement, over recent months 40 minors (aged 12-18) took part in terror attacks against Israelis. The terror wave that has included stabbings, car-rammings and shootings, has claimed the lives of 25 Israelis and has left 279 wounded. Many more minors were involved in life threatening terror acts.

CUFI would like to encourage you to send a message of support to one or more of those MPs that defended Israel yesterday. You may like to use the following sample text:

Dear Mr Percy,

I would like to thank you for defending Israel in Wednesday’s debate in Westminster Hall, called by Labour MP Sarah Champion. As a supporter of Christians United for Israel, I am greatly concerned about the recent wave of terror against Israelis including the incitement of Palestinian young people. I stand with Israel’s right to resist all forms of terrorist activities believe that all children deserve the freedom to live without the fear of terrorism. I also am deeply concerned for the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of young Palestinian children being brainwashed and used in such a terrible way by Palestinian leadership.

Yours sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]

[Your ADDRESS may add more credibility but is optional)

Email: Andrew Percy [email protected]
Email: Ian Austin [email protected]
Email: John Howell [email protected]

 

“Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.” Matthew 8:14