Exclusive reporting from Middle East Eye (MEE) has uncovered growing legal and political controversy surrounding a controversial Israeli real estate event scheduled to take place this weekend at a northwest London synagogue, with the gathering tied directly to the marketing and sale of property in illegally occupied Palestinian territories.
Earlier this week, MEE first published details exposing the event’s deep connections to Israeli settlements that are widely recognized as illegal under international law. While event organizers have refused to publicly disclose the venue, MEE has confirmed that the Great Israeli Estate Event is set to kick off at midday on June 14 at Edgware United Synagogue, located in the Edgware district of northwest London.
In response to the planned gathering, the UK-based International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) issued a formal legal notice to the synagogue Saturday evening, alerting venue leadership to what the group calls substantial legal and reputational risks tied to hosting the event. A copy of the letter, reviewed directly by MEE, makes clear that the event is explicitly marketed as a space to promote and sell property located both in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.
The legal warning notes that UK government guidance already explicitly bars British businesses from participating in any economic or financial activity linked to Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and clearly outlines the material legal and commercial risks that come with engaging in such activity. Even as the letter acknowledges that the synagogue’s role is limited to providing event space, it emphasizes that hosting the gathering still amounts to facilitating the event’s work and granting unwarranted legitimacy to its illegal goals.
Multiple participating firms named in event materials have documented ties to illegal settlement construction and development. Emanuel Vatari, CEO of the Emanuel Group – one of the event’s primary sponsors – published a full list of participating companies on his public Facebook page earlier this week. The roster includes Harey Zahav, an Israeli property developer that openly advertises residential units in Negohot, an illegal Israeli settlement located in the southern Hebron Hills of the occupied West Bank. Also listed is the Meshulam Levinstein Group, a diversified construction, engineering and real estate conglomerate that has built both residential and commercial projects in illegal settlements across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, including a mixed housing and retail development in the Homat Shmuel settlement neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem. Additional participants include Tivuch Shelly, a real estate agency that promotes property in the large West Bank settlement of Ma’ale Adunim, and Africa Israel Residences, a subsidiary of the Africa Israel Group that has led multiple development projects in illegal settlements across the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Political pushback against the event has mounted rapidly in recent days. London Mayor Sadiq Khan publicly confirmed his opposition to the gathering Friday, stating, “I share concerns about the Great Israeli Real Estate Event taking place in our city, which I oppose, and that’s why I’ve discussed this directly with the Met Police.” He added that Metropolitan Police officials have advised him that any credible allegations of criminal activity connected to the potentially unlawful property sales at the event will be fully assessed for potential investigation.
Concurrent with the event, a public protest is organized by a coalition of activist groups including the Palestinian Youth Movement and the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network, scheduled to take place at the intersection of Edgware Way and Broadhurst Avenue, just a short distance from the synagogue venue.
Over 100 UK members of Parliament signed an open letter Friday to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, calling for the event to be canceled immediately. The letter argues that allowing the gathering to proceed would not only contradict existing UK government guidance on settlement-linked economic activity, but would also violate the UK government’s own binding obligations under international law.
In response to the growing outcry, a UK government spokesperson released a statement acknowledging the dispute, noting that “Expansion in the West Bank is wrong. We will be bringing forward updated guidance in the coming days, giving greater clarity to UK businesses on how to avoid ventures which support these illegal settlements.”
MEE has reached out to Edgware United Synagogue to request a comment on the legal notice and planned event, and has not yet received a response as of publication.