“The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises UK citizens that there are risks involved in purchasing property in Israeli settlements on land considered to be occupied under international law in East Jerusalem, the West Bank or the Golan,” Consumer Affairs Minister Gareth Thomas said.
“Prospective purchasers should be aware that future peace deals could have consequences for properties purchased in these settlements,” Thomas (pictured) told MPs in a written parliamentary reply published Wednesday.
The warning comes after the Foreign Office updated its travel advice to make Britons aware of the dangers in December following the holding of real estate fairs in London and Manchester which promoted properties for sale in such illegal Israeli settlements as Maale Adumim and Har Homa, both in the West Bank.
In March, the British government also confirmed the cancellation of controversial plans to move its embassy in Tel Aviv to a property owned by a company linked with building illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied territories.
Thomas also said that although there was no specific legislation applying to overseas property transactions, “estate agents marketing overseas properties do have legal obligations to prospective purchasers under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.”
“The Regulations oblige businesses not to mislead consumers through acts or omissions in their commercial practices. Failure to inform prospective purchasers of the risks involved in purchasing properties in the settlements could potentially amount to a misleading omission,” he warned.
