I appreciate the concerns raised regarding the Government of Israel's recent decision to proscribe six civil society organisations as terrorist groups.
HM Government has a close relationship with the Government of Israel, the strength of which allows sensitive issues such as this to be raised. Minister Cleverly assured the House on 26 October that he and his colleagues at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) will be speaking to their Israeli counterparts to understand why they felt they needed to take this action. I will ensure that the FCDO is aware of the strength of feeling on this issue.
The UK is a proud champion of human rights and a strong supporter of those around the world who dedicate their lives to defending them. Support is provided to Palestinian human right defenders (HRDs) through bilateral contributions around the world, and through core contributions to multilateral organisations. The FCDO also monitors treatment of HRDs in its annual Human Rights and Democracy Reports, the most recent of which was published on 8 July. That report paid tribute to the courageous work of HRDs and listed support for them as a UK foreign policy priority.