Theresa May will dine with Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, on Thursday to mark “with pride” the centenary of the Balfour declaration. She should pay heed to an event on Tuesday evening, when 1,000 British people gather at Westminster Central Hall – neither to celebrate nor to mourn, but to acknowledge British responsibility and to commit to change in the Holy Land.

“Britain’s broken promise: time for a new approach” is the work of the Balfour Project, shedding light on British imperial history and stimulating thought – what can our people and government do today to advance equal rights for all living between the Mediterranean sea and the Jordan river?

The Balfour declaration contained two promises. The first was to facilitate the creation of a Jewish national home in Palestine. The second was to safeguard the rights of the Palestinians. The second promise was broken. The new approach? Britain now to recognise the state of Palestine alongside Israel, on 1967 lines, and uphold international law in deed, not merely in word. We can’t leave the parties to this conflict to sort it out. Pitching the strong against the weak is not the way, particularly if one party works against the solution of two sovereign states. The tragedy of Gaza – 2 million people trapped by the 10-year blockade, compounded by deeply harmful Palestinian factional division – owes much to international political inertia. Nor can we put our faith in President Trump – which is what appears to be current British policy.

In our interest, and that of both the peoples who will share this Holy Land forever, our government needs to go beyond words. Only a just peace will bring lasting security and stability – our common aim.

Tom Brake MP Liberal Democrat

Richard Burden MP Labour

Lord Cope of Berkeley Conservative

Dr Philippa Whitford MP SNP

• Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s envisaged reforms (I will return Saudi Arabia to moderate Islam, says prince, 25 October) are welcome if achievable, but what was not referred to was the conflict that he and his counterpart in the UAE instigated against the Houthis in Yemen, and the ensuing blockade of Yemeni ports by all concerned having resulted in the worst humanitarian situation anywhere today. The prince would do even better to restore normality to the whole of southwestern Arabia.

Julian Lush

London