Palestinians
Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Guto Bebb (Aberconwy, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to raise concerns over the decline of the Christian community in the Palestinian territories with the Palestinian authorities.
Alistair Burt (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Afghanistan/South Asia, counter terrorism/proliferation, North America, Middle East and North Africa), Foreign and Commonwealth Office; North East Bedfordshire, Conservative)
Our officials in the Consulate-General in Jerusalem have raised our concerns about the Christian community in the West Bank with the Palestinian Authority Minister of Religious Affairs and discussed the need to maintain good relations between Muslims and Christians.
The Government regularly discusses these issues with religious leaders of all faiths, and with the relevant authorities, including raising specific cases as appropriate and discussing ways of protecting holy sites across the occupied Palestinian territories.