Arabic version: اندلاع احتجاجات بسبب معرض العقارات المثير للجدل في لندن

Activists disrupted the Great Israeli Real Estate Event in London, which faced widespread condemnation for marketing properties in illegal Israeli settlements. The invite-only fair, held at Edgware United Synagogue, featured listings in areas like Givat Zeev and Tivuch Shelly, located in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

According to Al Jazeera, attendees were shown promotional materials advertising homes in these contested areas, with one leaflet highlighting properties just ten minutes from Jerusalem. Activists noted that real estate agents framed the current situation in Gaza as a potential opportunity for buyers due to falling prices.

Inside the event, the atmosphere was described as calm, with a heavy police presence and security personnel equipped with body cameras. In contrast, outside the synagogue, a large protest took place, where demonstrators decried the sale of property on what they termed “illegally occupied stolen Palestinian land.”

More than 100 British legislators, including members of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour Party, previously urged the government to intervene and prevent the event from taking place, labeling the sales as “unacceptable.” The Metropolitan Police reported that 15 individuals were arrested during the protests for various offenses.

The event has drawn criticism from various rights groups and political figures, including London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who stated that any allegations of criminality related to the property sales would be examined by the police. The ongoing Israeli settlement expansion, which many international bodies view as illegal, continues to be a contentious issue in the Israel-Palestine conflict.