Trade unionists lead charge to cease UK arms exports to Israel

Workers and trade unionists in England and Scotland yesterday shut down major arms factories producing parts for F-35 fighter jets which Israel is using in its bombing campaign in Gaza.

Under the banner “Workers for a Free Palestine”, the workers and trade unionists closed off access to GE Aviation Systems in Cheltenham and Leonardo UK in Edinburgh following the Canadian Government’s recent decision to halt arms exports to Israel following a non-binding vote in the House of Commons.

Unite, UNISON, the British Medical Association (BMA), the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theatre Union (BECTU) were just some of the unions which took part in the civil action which also had representatives from the education sector, hospitality, academia and the arts.

“Polling shows the majority of Brits support a ceasefire and one million people have marched for that cause. Both the Conservatives and the Labour Party have refused to listen,” said Laura, a trade unionist and Workers for a Free Palestine organiser.

In a bold reaction to the government’s intention to restrict protests in the UK under the pretext of “anti-extremism”, these blockades are set to be a part of a month-long series of disruptive direct actions. More than 20 cars were turned away at the gates in Cheltenham, with factory managers advising their employees to stay at home.

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“We can’t allow arms being used to massacre Palestinians to be supplied in our name and funded by our taxes and, as local residents, we don’t want murder being manufactured on our doorstep. It makes us feel complicit,” said Cam, a local resident taking part in the Edinburgh blockade.

Cam added: “We don’t blame the workers at these sites. We blame the bosses who decide to sell these components to Israel so they can be used in an ongoing genocide. As Israel threatens to invade Rafah, predicted to cause an unthinkably brutal bloodbath, we couldn’t stand by silently while a factory down the road resources that massacre. We had to act.”

The UK has continued to provide military support to Israel despite international concerns surrounding Israel’s actions in Palestine, with UK manufacturers supplying 15 per cent of the components for F-35 fighter jets. The Ministry of Defence also recently revealed that nine Israeli military aircraft have been authorised to land at and depart from UK bases, and approximately 50 Royal Air Force aircraft have made flights to Israel since 7 October.

Hundreds of politicians from 12 countries have called for an arms embargo on Israel, deeming it a necessary action on both moral and legal grounds. This movement comes after the Court of Appeal in The Hague mandated the Netherlands to halt the export of F-35 components, highlighting concerns over potential complicity in Israel’s ongoing human rights violations.

The UK government’s guidelines for exporting arms include the same obligation to that used by the Dutch court in the Netherlands, mandating that exports must be stopped if there’s a significant chance the weapons might be utilised in serious violations of international humanitarian law. This, activists have said, prompts important questions about the government’s commitment to its legal commitments.Asked about arms exports to Israel, government officials have repeatedly said they have been assured by Israeli officials that their army is abiding by international humanitarian laws.

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