https://sputnikglobe.com/20240903/fear-of-legal-retribution-may-have-forced-uk-to-scale-back-arms-sales-to-israel-1120001010.html
Fear of Legal Retribution May Have Forced UK to Scale Back Arms Sales to Israel
Fear of Legal Retribution May Have Forced UK to Scale Back Arms Sales to Israel
Sputnik International
London announced Monday that it would suspend 30 of 350 arms export licenses to Israel over the “clear risk” that the weapons could be used to “commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.” Sputnik asked Dr. Macro Carnelos, one of Europe’s foremost experts on Middle East affairs, what prompted the partial about-face.
2024-09-03T14:10+0000
2024-09-03T14:10+0000
2024-09-03T14:10+0000
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keir starmer
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Embattled Israeli Prime Minister lashed out at the Starmer government on Tuesday over its decision to suspend some arms exports to Tel Aviv, vowing that the “shameful decision” would “not change Israel’s determination to defeat Hamas, a genocidal terrorist organization that savagely murdered 1,200 people on October 7, including 14 British citizens.”“Instead of standing with Israel, a fellow democracy defending itself against barbarism, Britain’s misguided decision will only embolden Hamas,” Netanyahu alleged.British Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced partial restrictions on the sale of arms to Israel on Monday, assuring that Britain “continues to support Israel’s right to self-defense in accordance with international law.”Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz expressed “disappointment” with London’s decision, saying Tel Aviv acts “in accordance with international law” and “expect[s] ally nations like Britain to recognize that every day.” A “step like the one taken now by Britain sends a problematic message to the Hamas terrorist organization and its handlers in Iran,” Katz claimed.British Defense Secretary John Healey assured London remains committed to supporting Israel, but also has a duty to “tell the hardest truths” to its “closest friends” regarding its concerns. “This is not a determination by the government that Israel has breached international humanitarian law. It’s a conclusion, according to the rules that we have, that there’s a clear risk that some UK arms exports could be used in breaches of international law in that Gaza conflict,” Healey said.The suspended items reportedly include components for jet aircraft (but not British-made F-35 parts), choppers and drones, as well as parts for ground-based targeting systems. The affected items constitute less than 10% of the UK’s current arms export licenses, and fewer than 1% of Israel’s arms imports come from Britain – amounting to £42 million (about $55.2 million US) in 2022.Campaigners demanding more transparency on Britain’s military assistance for Israel criticized Monday’s move as a half-measure.“I asked the foreign secretary what role Britain has played in flying surveillance aircraft over Gaza, and whether the British army base in Cyprus is being used as a staging point for flights to Israel. He refused to answer,” former Labour Party leader-turned independent MP Jeremy Corbyn wrote.Amnesty International also grilled Lammy, saying the partial freeze on export licenses is “filled with loop-holes and does not go far enough,” and dubbing the move to continue the supply of F-35 parts a “catastrophic failure for arms control and justice.”Why Now?“I suspect that behind the Starmer government’s decision there was the fear of possible juridical actions against the government for its so far blatant inaction in [the face] of Israeli violation[s]. A possible class action by many NGOs for not implementing British laws might have pushed the British government to act, unfortunately very late,” Dr. Marco Carnelos, a veteran Italian diplomat and former prime ministerial advisor on Middle East affairs, told Sputnik, commenting on Monday’s decision by London.That said, the veteran diplomat does not expect the move to have much of an impact on the power of the Israel lobby in the UK, neither in Prime Minister Starmer’s Labour Party nor in Whitehall.Asked about the British government’s apparent double standards – restricting at least some weapons licenses to Israel but doing no such thing in the case of Ukraine, Carnelos explained that the two conflicts are framed in a different way, allowing London to continue its arms exports to Kiev freely ($11.7 billion and counting) while announcing the concerns regarding sales to Israel.Israel has been accused of serious crimes in the war in Gaza, with United Nations Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese telling media in March that there were “reasonable grounds” to suggest that Israel is “committing the crime of genocide against the Palestinians as a group in Gaza.” Last December, South Africa took Israel to The Hague, accusing Tel Aviv of committing genocide. Nearly a dozen other countries, including several NATO allies, have since joined that case. Israel has vocally denied all allegations of wrongdoing.The October 7, 2023 escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli crisis has claimed the lives of over 40,000 people, the vast majority of them Palestinian civilians in Gaza. Over 700 Israel soldiers and police officers, and nearly 900 Israeli civilians, have also been killed, some as a result of the implementation of the Hannibal Directive – which authorizes the IDF to use all necessary force to prevent Israeli citizens from being taken hostage.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240903/following-breach-of-international-humanitarian-law-uk-to-halt-some-arms-exports-to-israel---report-1119990285.html
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240903/netanyahu-refuses-surrender-to-israeli-protesters-demanding-hostage-deal-1119991461.html
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240902/israelis-realize-they-can-be-killed-by-their-own-governments-security-considerations-1119989822.html
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does britain sell weapons to israel, what weapons does israel import from britain, why did uk scale back arms exports to israel, is britain afraid of legal repercussions
does britain sell weapons to israel, what weapons does israel import from britain, why did uk scale back arms exports to israel, is britain afraid of legal repercussions
Fear of Legal Retribution May Have Forced UK to Scale Back Arms Sales to Israel
London announced Monday that it would suspend 30 of 350 arms export licenses to Israel over the “clear risk” that the weapons could be used to “commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.” Sputnik asked Dr. Macro Carnelos, one of Europe’s foremost experts on Middle East affairs, what prompted the partial about-face.
Embattled Israeli Prime Minister lashed out at the Starmer government on Tuesday over its decision to suspend some arms exports to Tel Aviv, vowing that the “shameful decision” would “not change Israel’s determination to defeat Hamas, a genocidal terrorist organization that savagely murdered 1,200 people on October 7, including 14 British citizens.”
“Instead of standing with Israel, a fellow democracy defending itself against barbarism, Britain’s misguided decision will only embolden Hamas,” Netanyahu alleged.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy
announced partial restrictions on the sale of arms to Israel on Monday, assuring that Britain “continues to support Israel’s right to self-defense in accordance with international law.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz expressed “disappointment” with London’s decision, saying Tel Aviv acts “in accordance with international law” and “expect[s] ally nations like Britain to recognize that every day.” A “step like the one taken now by Britain sends a problematic message to the Hamas terrorist organization and its handlers in Iran,” Katz claimed.
British Defense Secretary John Healey assured London remains committed to supporting Israel, but also has a duty to “tell the hardest truths” to its “closest friends” regarding its concerns. “This is not a determination by the government that Israel has breached international humanitarian law. It’s a conclusion, according to the rules that we have, that there’s a clear risk that some UK arms exports could be used in breaches of international law in that Gaza conflict,” Healey said.
The suspended items reportedly include components for jet aircraft (but not British-made F-35 parts), choppers and drones, as well as parts for ground-based targeting systems. The affected items
constitute less than 10% of the UK’s current arms export licenses, and fewer than 1% of Israel’s arms imports come from Britain – amounting to £42 million (about $55.2 million US) in 2022.
Campaigners demanding more transparency on Britain’s military assistance for Israel criticized Monday’s move as a half-measure.
“I asked the foreign secretary what role Britain has played in flying surveillance aircraft over Gaza, and whether the British army base in Cyprus is being used as a staging point for flights to Israel. He refused to answer,” former Labour Party leader-turned independent MP
Jeremy Corbyn wrote.
Amnesty International also grilled Lammy, saying the partial freeze on export licenses is “filled with loop-holes and does not go far enough,” and dubbing the move to continue the supply of F-35 parts a “catastrophic failure for arms control and justice.”
“I suspect that behind the Starmer government’s decision there was the fear of possible juridical actions against the government for its so far blatant inaction in [the face] of Israeli violation[s]. A possible class action by many NGOs for not implementing British laws might have pushed the British government to act, unfortunately very late,” Dr. Marco Carnelos, a veteran Italian diplomat and former prime ministerial advisor on Middle East affairs, told Sputnik, commenting on Monday’s decision by London.
“The level of violence reached by Israeli forces operating in Gaza and the evident violation of the laws regulating the armed conflicts could not be ignored any longer by the UK, especially under a Labour government,” Carnelos believes.
That said, the veteran diplomat does not expect the move to have much of an impact on the power of the Israel lobby in the UK, neither in Prime Minister Starmer’s Labour Party nor in Whitehall.
“[The] pro-Palestinian lobby in UK has been very active but its capacity to influence the British political establishment pales in comparison to the Pro-Israel lobby. This is an initial modest success. I do not believe this decision will strain the UK-Israel relations. The Labour Party under Keir Starmer’s leadership remains very pro-Israel no matter how many crimes Israel might have committed in Gaza,” Dr. Carnelos stressed.
Asked about the British government’s apparent double standards – restricting at least some weapons licenses to Israel but doing no such thing in the case of Ukraine, Carnelos explained that the two conflicts are framed in a different way, allowing London to continue its arms exports to Kiev freely (
$11.7 billion and counting) while announcing the concerns regarding sales to Israel.
Israel has been accused of serious crimes in the war in Gaza, with United Nations Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese telling media in March that there were “reasonable grounds” to suggest that Israel is “committing the crime of genocide against the Palestinians as a group in Gaza.” Last December, South Africa took Israel to The Hague, accusing Tel Aviv of committing genocide. Nearly a dozen other countries, including several NATO allies, have since joined that case. Israel has vocally denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
The October 7, 2023 escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli crisis has claimed the lives of over 40,000 people, the vast majority of them Palestinian civilians in Gaza. Over 700 Israel soldiers and police officers, and nearly 900 Israeli civilians, have also been killed, some as a result of the implementation of the
Hannibal Directive – which authorizes the IDF to use all necessary force to prevent Israeli citizens from being taken hostage.
