Write to Political Representatives Now Concerning Demolitions in West Bank and East Jerusalem (16 Jan 2026)
Writing to MPs and other relevant parties (local media, religious bodies, organisations) can be an effective way of taking action to raise awareness of the situation in Palestine / Israel. ICAHD responds to events by preparing sample letters as tools to guide you and it is always best to personalise your letter. If you have visited Palestine/Israel include that information therefore you have witnessed the situation and can testify to the reality.
The sample letter below can be used to raise awareness of the ongoing demolitions in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and was prepared on 16 January 2026.
Contact details for your MP may be found here.
Dear
I am writing to you about a matter of considerable importance to me and I seek your help.
Concerning Palestine/Israel, much attention has rightly been on Israel’s war on Gaza deemed plausible genocide by the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Since the first Trump Administration, when East Jerusalem, considered an occupied territory under international law, was recognized as a part of Israel, and especially since 7th October 2023, the numbers of illegal, violent demolitions in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention have skyrocketed.
Israel’s occupation of East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza began in 1967 and in July 2024, the ICJ concluded its now prolonged occupation is illegal. Since 1967, home demolitions, land expropriation, the displacement of Palestinian families and their replacement by Jews who moved in from other countries, has been a consistent policy in Israel’s process of ethnic cleansing. During that time, more than 61,000 Palestinian homes, agricultural buildings, mosques, businesses, schools and community structures have been demolished in East Jerusalem and the West Bank along with the now more than 436,000 residential homes in Gaza. This is on the backdrop of about 60,000 Palestinian homes destroyed inside Israel during the Nakba when the state of Israel was established. In addition, annually, thousands of demolitions continue to happen in the Negev within the Bedouin communities that Israel has never recognized which is a clear apartheid policy against these Israeli citizens.
During 2025, statistics show that at least 2030 Palestinian homes and structures vital for living were demolished in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, all in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Many Palestinians have sought legal advice and applied for building permits but annually, only between 1 -3% are granted permission for construction. Palestinians desperate for housing and a means of living have no choice but to proceed without permission.
Many tens of thousands of Palestinians hold demolition orders in their hands. When demolitions happen, they are random and violent with little or no notice provided. Israeli authorities come with its army and police. Roads are cordoned off; bulldozers and pneumatic drills appear and get to work within minutes. The family’s possessions end up buried under the rubble and they are cast out as no alternative housing is provided. In addition, they are sent the invoice for the demolition along with a fine for construction without a building permit, something most families cannot afford. Studies show that the trauma from experiencing one’s home being demolished affects family members in different ways and is intergenerational.
It is completely unacceptable that the UK government does not call Israel to account for this and its many gross violations of international law. I ask that you forward this letter to the FCDO and demand that Israel is sanctioned, something that can happen in different forms from ending the arms and all other trade with Israel to closing the Israeli Embassy in London.
I, like hundreds of thousands of UK citizens, will not keep silent because we want to see international law respected. I await your response and confirmation that this letter has been forwarded to the FCDO. Thank you.
Sincerely,