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Brighton MPs meet Palestinian visitors

Brighton Labour MPs David Lepper (Pavilion) and Des Turner (Kemptown) have promised to raise in Parliament issues about the use of illegal child labour in Israeli-owned factories in occupied Palestinian areas following a meeting with residents of the Tubas region of the West Bank who visited the city last week.

Fathy Khdairat, a Palestinian member of the Tubas-Brighton Friendship and Solidarity Group, Niven Khdirat, who works with women’s groups in the Tubas area, and Red Crescent ambulance driver Mohamad Sawafra met both MPs with locally- based members of the Friendship Group who have visited Tubas..

David Lepper said:

“It is important to hear at first hand from people living in the occupied areas of the West Bank who are not aligned to any political groups about how their daily lives are affected by travel restrictions and the Israelis’ separation wall.

“ Tubas is a fertile area of the Jordan Valley but we heard how residents have been cut off from much of their land by check points and travel restrictions.”

Des Turner said:

“We heard how factories set up in the Israeli settlements use child labour from Palestinian families in contravention of labour agreements about employing children and how, because of the lack of other work for adults, many Palestinian families depend on this as a main source of income. We will be raising our concerns when Parliament returns later this month.”

The Brighton - Tubas friendship group was set up in May 2006 following a visit to Palestine by people from Brighton. As well as aiming to increase understanding about life in the occupied territories it is also fundraising to support projects in the Tubas region. The group can be contacted via the Brighton Peace and Environment Centre, 39-41 Surrey Street, Brighton BN1 3PG.