The U.K. has stopped some arms sales to Israel
The U.K. should not do so to Israel: a warning against Israeli hostages and Palestinians in the Gaza war, says Amnesty International
In Britain, the country’s chief rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, said it “beggars belief” that the U.K would do this to its ally Israel. He suggested it was especially offensive to suspend weapons exports at a time when funerals were underway for Israeli hostages killed in Gaza. The bodies of six people were recovered Sunday in Gaza.
Amnesty International calls the U.K. suspension of arms exports “too limited and riddled with loopholes.” Human Rights Watch said it “doesn’t go far enough.”
The exports include items such as guns and aircraft parts. They’re made in Britain under a licensing scheme that allows them to export their weapons to Israel.
But the suspension marks a significant escalation in British pressure on Israel to curb civilian deaths in its campaign to root out Hamas militants in Gaza. More than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war in Gaza, including women and children, the Gazan health ministry said in August.
Five Things to Know About the U.K.’s Suspension of Some Arms Exports to Israel: The State Department’s Miller and the UK’s Sunak
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On Tuesday, when pressed on the Biden administration’s opinion of the U.K.’s arms suspension, the State Department’s Miller said, “It’s of course appropriate for them to make their own legal judgements based on their system and their laws.”
The International Criminal Court sought arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant in late July, but Starmer’s government didn’t file a challenge. With the U.S. not a signatory to that court, its ally Britain had pledged — under Starmer’s predecessor Rishi Sunak — to file legal paperwork challenging those warrants.
Keir Starmer was a prosecutor and a human rights lawyer. He’s been under pressure from some of his own supporters to speak out about rising civilian death tolls in Gaza, and to condemn Israel more forcefully.
The new government said it was restarting funding for UNRWA within weeks of taking office.
The U.K. and Washington have a close relationship with regard to Israel policy. But a new center-left British government, elected in July, has indicated it may take a more independent approach.
Source: 5 things to know about the U.K.’s suspension of some arms exports to Israel
The U.K.’s suspension of some arms exports to Israel: 5 things to know about the case of Israel and the Hamas-led attack
Fallon tells NPR she’s heartened by “all the ordinary people who’ve gone on a march, emailed their [member of Parliament], and worked on this nonstop for the last year.” The U.K. decision is seen by her group as partial victory.
“That includes things like the rear fuselage, which is the entire back part of the plane, and many other bits including the release mechanisms for the bombs,” says Katie Fallon, an activist with the Campaign Against Arms Trade, one of the groups that has helped organize nationwide protests.
Activists are particularly concerned that Lammy announced an exemption for components of F-35 fighter jets, which Israel has used to drop bombs on Gaza. Some of the components are made in Britain.
On Tuesday, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters that British officials had notified their U.S. counterparts about the suspension ahead of Lammy’s announcement in Parliament.
In a post Tuesday on social media, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Britain’s action “shameful,” and said it would not deter Israel from “pursuing a just war with just means.”
A policy paper explaining the decision was published by the new government. It said it has also concluded that Israel is failing on humanitarian aid in Gaza and the treatment of detainees.
A legal review of U.K. arms exports to Israel was commissioned earlier this year by the previous Conservative-led government, which lost power in July 4 elections. Before leaving office, it did not make the findings public.
He said a legal review found that “for certain U.K. arms exports to Israel there exists a clear risk that they might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.” Israel is not violating any laws.
As the anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack approaches, and the death toll in Gaza mounts, the British government is one of several around the world that are expressing increasing alarm at how the war is being conducted.
Source: 5 things to know about the U.K.’s suspension of some arms exports to Israel
Healey’s comments on a possible impact of a partial arms suspension on Israel’s security (and the UK’s defense secretary)
British Defense Secretary John Healey said Tuesday that the partial suspension of arms exports would have no impact on Israel’s security.
