Europe’s biggest-ever Palestine event has received the go-ahead by the British government despite attempts by the UK’s pro-Israel lobby to have it cancelled.
Organizers of Palestine Expo received the confirmation from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) on Tuesday morning.
The DCLG said it was “content to let the event proceed”.
UK Communities Minister Sajid Javid had previously threatened to cancel the event after pro-Israel activists alleged that the organizers Friends of al-Aqsa had links to Hamas.
Ismail Patel a founder of Friends of al-Aqsa dismissed the claims as “false and baseless allegations” against his group.
Patel described the government’s announcement as “very good news indeed” for freedom of speech in the UK adding that people wishing to attend can now buy tickets with confidence.
According to the Palestine Expo’s organizers since the event’s scheduling on the weekend of 8 to 9 June was put into doubt only 300 tickets have been sold. Prior to this 1800 had been sold in the first few days after the event was announced.
The event which will be held at the QE2 center in London is expected to attract around 10000 people.
Spokesperson for the Conference of Palestinians Abroad Ziad al-Aloul said the event is a sign of the legitimacy of Palestinian cause.
Activist Nawaf al-Tamimi also said the event is another goal scored in favor of the Palestinian cause in the UK and the West.
“The exposition is a slap on the face of the Israeli lobby in Britain and the smear campaigns propagated against the Palestinian people under the pretext of anti-Semitism” added al-Tamimi.
“It is no wonder that the pro-Palestine event has been targeted by a fierce counter-campaign by the Israeli lobby who has left no stone unturned to cancel the exposition” the activist further stated.
