ByKELLY HARTOG/JTA

JUNE 18, 2026 06:51

Updated: JUNE 18, 2026 09:32

Organizers of the Great Israeli Real Estate Event in London on Sunday issued an apology after it emerged that the gathering had included promotions for properties in the West Bank, contrary to earlier pledges that no such listings would appear.

Meanwhile, the proprietor of one real estate firm with a booth at the event informed the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that she had hidden the name of a West Bank city on a display poster yet still slipped two flyers discreetly to visitors interested in homes in disputed parts of Jerusalem.

Prior to the gathering, the organizers, the hosting synagogue, and the Board of Deputies of British Jews had all dismissed assertions from pro-Palestinian campaigners that properties outside Israel's recognized borders would be featured.

They had come under intense scrutiny from numerous British parliamentarians and London Mayor Sadiq Khan, forcing a last-minute venue change after the original site withdrew suddenly.

Organizers Issue Apology Following Disclosures

After demonstrations outside the synagogue, Board of Deputies acting president Adam Cohen noted that the organizers had denied marketing real estate beyond the Green Line and suggested the accusations served as a pretext for antisemitism.

The false claims appear aimed mainly at harassing and intimidating Jewish community members, he stated.

The Board of Deputies offered no further remarks on the later findings that West Bank properties had indeed been promoted.

However, the organizers, experienced with similar events across the United States, released a statement to the UK's Jewish News both expressing regret over East Jerusalem settlement references in a distributed brochure and asserting that British Jews should not face limits on property purchases.

We wish to stress again that the venue instructed us clearly against promoting Israeli real estate over the Green Line, and every vendor consented to follow that rule, the statement read. At the same time, it is unacceptable in the present era for anyone to restrict British Jews from buying property anywhere globally, whether in Paris, New York, or Israel.

The statement also addressed social media assertions regarding the sale of stolen Palestinian land at the event.

Such claims lack foundation, it said. No one at the event promoted or discussed properties in the disputed territories, such as Givat Zeev or Kfar Eldad, two East Jerusalem settlements. Their appearance in the brochure resulted from an oversight, for which we apologize.

Flyers Promoted West Bank Properties

The disclosures followed attendee photographs of flyers advertising West Bank settlements that were shared online.

The Guardian indicated it had secured brochures from the event listing properties not only in Givat Ze'ev and Kfar Eldad but also in Ma'ale Adumim and Teneh Omarim in the West Bank, plus Ramat Eshkol and Givat Hamatos in East Jerusalem.

Guy Zilberman of the pro-Palestinian group Jewish Anti-Zionist Action shared video footage from inside the event showing brochures received from firms offering homes in several listed locations. He noted a salesman had directly proposed properties in Judea and Samaria, the Israeli designation for the West Bank.

The recording captured Zilberman then identifying himself in a meeting room, condemning the event, and urging attendees in Hebrew to avoid theft before security escorted him out.

An unnamed Jewish Anti-Zionist Action member told Sky News that a visit to Tivuch Shelly's stall yielded a leaflet promoting properties in Ma'ale Adumim, described as an illegal West Bank settlement.

Legal Issues and Settlement Sales

The mentioned locations underscore the intricate nature of Israel's geography and the challenges confronting property sellers in the area.

The UK views Israeli settlement expansions as breaches of international law, creating possible legal hurdles for home sales there. The United States does not deem the settlements illegal, rendering real estate events there less exposed to legal risks despite strong protests.

Settlements inside Jerusalem's municipality, including Ramat Eshkol and Givat Hamatos, add further complexity. While Israel treats the West Bank as disputed, it views no part of Jerusalem in that light. East Jerusalem joined the state in 1980, and Israeli law regards both West and East Jerusalem as the complete, undivided capital.

Ma'ale Adumim, a city of roughly 40,000 in the West Bank, has long been viewed as likely to stay under Israeli control in any future negotiated Palestinian state.

Tivuch Shelly owner and founder Shelly Levine told JTA in a phone interview that her firm never actively promoted Ma'ale Adumim properties at the event. She explained that the words Ma'ale Adumim had been taped over on their booth.

Yet she acknowledged providing two flyers under the table with Ma'ale Adumim properties after receiving advance emails from individuals seeking homes specifically in that area.

She could not recall the individuals' names but said the brochures were handed over in a bag with instructions not to remove or view them inside the building, since Ma'ale Adumim sales were not permitted at the event.

Levine now suspects those emails formed a setup to obtain material for media exposure.

Unless visitors accessed Tivuch Shelly's website, Levine added, nobody would learn of their Ma'ale Adumim listings. We kept our promise to the organizers; we displayed no brochures and placed nothing on our tables.

Protests, Arrests and Official Scrutiny

Even before the disclosures, preparations for the event had been tense for weeks, with the initial venue withdrawing less than 48 hours prior and Edgware Synagogue stepping in. Although the location stayed hidden until under 24 hours before the event, nearly 1,000 protesters gathered outside the synagogue from both pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel sides.

Despite police presence to separate the groups, 14 individuals were detained, seven pro-Israel and six pro-Palestinian, on charges including violent disorder, assault, and public-order violations.

Over 100 members of parliament and peers contacted Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper before the event, urging her to stop it on grounds that West Bank property sales breach international law.

On Tuesday, Cooper informed Parliament that the government had requested a national regulator examine complaints about the event's advertising and promotional materials.

We have asked the authority to review the issue promptly and confirm that, should evidence emerge of advertising or promoting property in illegal settlements at this or other events, it will enforce applicable laws, regulations, and guidance, Cooper said when responding to a local lawmaker's query on why the government permitted the Great Israeli Real Estate Event to proceed.

It is vital that these standards are upheld in the UK, which is precisely why we have addressed the matter so seriously with the Advertising Standards Authority, she added.

That proved insufficient for Zack Polanski, the anti-Zionist Jewish leader of the Green Party, who sent a letter later on Tuesday to Khan demanding action, including from London's police force.

This needs to be escalated to the Metropolitan Police Service immediately, Polanski wrote. Anything less fails to reflect the seriousness of the situation.