The village of Khan al-Ahmar is home to a Bedouin community and has been for decades. They\u2019ve built a community around the land and a wonderful little school made from tyres and mud. The school is attended by over a hundred children – not only from the village, but also from surrounding towns and villages, because of the quality of education provided there. I spoke to a teacher who travels in every day because she\u2019s so committed to giving the children a great education – including the many girls who attend – and I spoke to two boys who travel in from Jericho because the class sizes are smaller and they think this will help them to get a good education to achieve their ambitions of becoming a mechanic and an electrician.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](../../../../../\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Wes-KAA-blog.jpg?resize=535%2C400&quality=80&strip=all&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n
The Israeli Government has made a number of arguments for the demolition and relocation of this village: lack of planning permission and proximity to a busy highway chief among them. However, the highway was built after the village, the Government grants so few planning permissions to Palestinians each year and the proposed new site for the village is also next to a busy road. It is also too far for many children to travel to school and lacks land for farming.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s another reason why the future of this village really matters. It is situated in an area known as E1 – just outside East Jerusalem in what would, in all likelihood, be the State of Palestine under a negotiated two state solution. The continuing trend of the demolition of Palestinian homes and the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank is making a two state solution look more and more distant. Settlement expansion in E1 presents an existential crisis to the two state solution. It should be a red line for the international community.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why the proposed demolition of Khan al-Ahmar has been condemned by our Government and EU member states. The UN warns<\/a> that forced displacement of the Bedouin villagers could constitute a war crime under the Geneva convention. If the demolition goes ahead, there must be consequences. Britain and our European allies need to decide quickly what those consequences will be. Failure to respond will give the green light to further demolitions and settlement expansion in the West Bank.<\/p>\n International pressure has given the villagers of Khan al-Ahmar hope. Two years ago, the village was eerily quiet. A teachers\u2019 strike in the Palestinian Authority has closed the school for the day and the villagers were going about their daily routines of farming their land and caring for their children. Two years later, and the school was filled with excitement as a group of children were heading into Jerusalem with \u2018Save My School\u2019 placards to coincide with the visit of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. There can be no better ambassadors for this\u00a0community.<\/p>\n Some of the school children of Khan al-Ahmar travelled to Jerusalem today with a powerful message for the @PresidentRuvi<\/a> and @netanyahu<\/a>: #SaveMySchool<\/a>. Let\u2019s make sure they\u2019re heard @UKinJerusalem<\/a> @ukinisrael<\/a> @IsraelinUK<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/TzjWvo7Fhe<\/a><\/p>\n — Wes Streeting MP (@wesstreeting) October 4, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n