Exclusive: London event advertises Israeli agency building illegal settlements

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. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "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. Another East Jerusalem neighbourhood is demolished as the world fails to act Read More » 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. "It is clear that the project’s central motivation is to consolidate the settlers’ hold in those areas as part of an effort to displace Palestinians from the Historic Basin and reshape Jerusalem’s cultural landscape." Foreign secretary's ban The JDA also plans to build a large settlement housing project next to the Palestinian community of Beit Safafa in East Jerusalem. The JDA is further promoting the controversial renovation of the Mamilla Pool tourist site in Jerusalem's old city, which critics say threatens a centuries-old Palestinian Muslim cemetery. Israel’s stand at WTM London is also shared with Africa Israel Hotels, previously part of the Africa Israel Group, which has been involved in several settlement projects in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. In June, the British government referred the Great Israeli Real Estate Event, held in London, to the advertising regulator after MEE reported that properties in illegal Israeli settlements were advertised at the event. But MEE revealed in August that the advertising regulator had not opened an investigation into the event. Exclusive: UK's advertising regulator not investigating Great Israeli Real Estate Event Read More » In September, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said in parliament: "Earlier this year, shamefully, just a few miles from here, we saw an expo advertising illegal settlement land. We must and we will ensure that that never happens again, so we will ban the advertising in the UK of illegal settlements." In 2010, the UK advertising regulator banned an Israeli tourist press office campaign for including pictures of East Jerusalem, saying: "The status of the occupied territory of the West Bank [is] the subject of much international dispute, and because we considered that the ad implied that the part of East Jerusalem featured in the image was part of the state of Israel, we concluded that the ad was likely to mislead." WTM did not respond to MEE's request for comment by the time of publication. The WTM London website says: "As the world’s most influential travel and tourism event, WTM London brings together the international leisure travel industry to inspire, educate and create opportunity. "It’s where travel professionals connect, ideas take flight and partnerships are built."