Finally!!! (UK is just a small fish when it comes to arms exports to Israel, yet one of the biggest allies)
‘Clear risk’: UK suspends arms export licences to Israel
The United Kingdom will immediately suspend 30 arms export licenses out of the 350 it has with Israel because there is a “clear risk” such equipment might be used to “commit serious violations of international humanitarian law“.
“This is not a blanket ban, this is not an arms embargo,” Foreign Secretary David Lammy told Parliament. “We do not take this decision lightly.”
The UK is among a number of Israel’s longstanding allies whose governments are under growing pressure to halt weapons exports because of the toll of the 11-month-old war in Gaza, where more than 40,700 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children.
British firms sell a relatively small amount of weapons and components to Israel. Earlier this year, the government said military exports to Israel amounted to 42 million pounds ($53m) in 2022.
‘Good step’ from the UK to suspend 30 export licences
Hassan Barari, an international affairs professor at Qatar University, says the United Kingdom’s decision to suspend 30 arms export licences to Israel is “very important” since the UK has supported Israel’s “right to defend itself” since October 7.
“But there is a deception here because there is a huge difference between a right to defend yourself and the genocide that Israel has been doing. So we haven’t heard from the British government a critique or criticism of what the Israeli government is doing in Gaza. But, anyway, I think its a good step”, Barari told Al Jazeera.
Despite the move only accounting for 30 out of 350 export licences, Barari said it serves as a “reminder to everyone, the international community, there is a need to do something to tell the Israelis they cannot continue the war unchecked in this way”.
British campaign group says UK ‘waking up’ after Israel arms suspension
After the UK’s announcement it will suspend 30 arms export licences to Israel, the British social justice group Global Justice Now says the government is “waking up to the fact that it must stop arming Israel”.
“But this is a half-baked ban which risks maintaining UK complicity in war crimes. You wouldn’t deal with a dangerous arsonist by simply reducing their petrol supply. This announcement doesn’t go nearly far enough,” campaigner Tim Bierley said.
Bierley added that Britain is “still providing military goods to a government accused of intent to commit genocide”, which has “little support from the British public”.
“The government must implement a full and complete arms embargo,” Bierley said.
Israel disappointed by UK decision to halt some arms exports
Israeli officials say Britain’s decision to suspend some arms export licenses is disappointing and sends a problematic message to Hamas.
Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a statement Israel is “disappointed by a series of decisions” made by the British government, including the decision regarding weapons exports.
Katz said the move “sends a very problematic message” to Hamas and its patrons in Iran.
“Deeply disheartened to learn of the sanctions placed by the UK government on export licenses to Israel’s defence establishment,” Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said on X.
