The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 6th March 2026:
The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government
- what assessment they have made of the impact that the construction of the E1 settlement to the east of Jerusalem will have on the on the prospect of an independent, viable and contiguous Palestinian State
- what assessment have they made of the merits of imposing travel or economic sanctions on individuals or bodies involved in the planning and construction of the E1 settlement to the east of Jerusalem.
- what assessment they have made of the merits of (1) reviewing existing trade ties with Israel, or (2) suspending the 2030 Roadmap for UK-Israel bilateral relations and imposing targeted sanctions upon Israel, because of the planned construction of the E1 settlement.
- what representations they have made to the government of Israel over the seizure of the UNESCO archaeological site at Sebastia on the West Bank, including the traditional burial place of St John the Baptist, for the new Shomron National Park.
Baroness Chapman of Darlington: In response to the various questions raised, I refer the Lord Bishop to the answer provided on 19 December 2025 in response to Question HL12787. Specifically on the issue of the E1 settlement, I also refer him to the answer provided in the House of Commons on 3 September 2025 in response to Question 71442, which – for ease of reference – is reproduced below: On 21 August, the Foreign Secretary and 26 international partners joined a statement condemning the E1 settlement development. The Ambassador of Israel to the United Kingdom was also summoned to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in response to the plans. The decision by the Israeli Higher Planning Committee to approve plans for settlement construction in the E1 area, East of Jerusalem, is unacceptable and, if implemented, would divide a Palestinian state in two, mark a flagrant breach of international law and critically undermine the two-state solution. We condemn this decision and call for its immediate reversal in the strongest terms. The Israeli government must stop settlement construction in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334.
The Church of England in Parliament 
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