London event advertises Israeli agency building illegal settlements
Imran Mulla reports in Middle East Eye on 29 October 2026:
An international travel event in London is set to advertise the Jerusalem Development Authority (JDA), which is involved in the construction of illegal Israeli settlements and efforts to dispossess Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem, Middle East Eye can reveal.
World Travel Market (WTM) London is scheduled to take place between 3-5 November and will feature a stand run by the Israeli government’s tourist office.
According to WTM London’s website, the stand is shared by numerous Israeli companies and organisations, including “iTravelJerusalem”, which promotes tourism in Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem and is managed by the JDA.
The JDA, a statutory agency of the Israeli government and the Jerusalem municipality, carries out development initiatives across Jerusalem and has been heavily involved in the construction and expansion of illegal Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian territory.
The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement said in 2020: “The Jerusalem Development Authority (JDA) illegally expropriates Palestinian land in occupied East Jerusalem for the development of so-called Biblical parks. “Hundreds of Palestinians have been displaced or are at risk of being forced out of their homes to make space for these parks in violation of the Geneva Conventions. The JDA has also been instrumental in the expansion of illegal settlements in East Jerusalem, such as Gilo.”
According to a 2025 report by the Office of the European Union Representative for the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the JDA planned “for the eviction of the Umm Haroun compound – home to approximately 40 Palestinian families – and the construction of a 320-unit settlement” in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood.
Last month, the British government recognised Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory as illegal.
In 2020 a JDA project to build a cable car in Jerusalem, which would involve the uprooting of trees and displacement of infrastructure including water, sewage and telecommunications, was approved by the Israeli government. The scheme is proceeding despite fierce local opposition and the withdrawal of four foreign companies, and continues to be actively promoted.
“This project threatens the Palestinian communities and the timeless landscape of Jerusalem’s historic core,” Israeli NGO Emek Shaveh said.