UK decision to suspend some arms for Israel frustrates both sides

Britain’s decision to suspend some arms sales to Israel was roundly criticised on Tuesday with some British politicians and Jewish groups accusing the Labour government of abandoning Israel, while others said the decision did not go far enough, Reuters reports.

The reaction to the government’s decision to block 30 of its 350 licences for arms exports underlines the depth of feeling in Britain over Israel’s pursuit of the Hamas group in the Palestinian territory of Gaza. It also points to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s difficulty in reducing tensions in Britain between pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian groups.

His Foreign Minister, David Lammy, said the move to limit the licences Britain gives for arms exports to Israel was because there was a risk such equipment might be used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law.

But Britain’s chief rabbi and British Jewish groups said the move would encourage Israel’s enemies in the region. Opponents of the Gaza war were equally critical of the move, saying a loophole would allow Britain to continue to supply Israel with parts for F-35 fighter jets.

READ: UK suspends 30 arms export licences to Israel

Simon Diggins, who served in the British army and was a former defence attaché in Afghanistan, said the government was trying to send Israel “a modest political message” about the way it sees the way the war in Gaza was being conducted.

“The problem is that it risks annoying everyone and appeases no one, and that is always a problem for a government,” he said.

Although Britain is a smaller exporter of arms to Israel than the US and Germany, the decision was seen by some analysts as a sign of Israel’s increasing diplomatic isolation.

Limited move 

Britain said on Monday it would block 30 licences for a range of items including components used in military aircraft, helicopters and drones following a government review that found possible breaches of international humanitarian law by Israel.

Some British politicians and human rights groups said the new restrictions were too limited and the government should enforce a total ban on arms transfers.

The government’s decision to approve export licences to sell weapons in Israel has been an emotive issue in Britain since the start of Israel’s war on 7 October when, according to Israeli tallies, Hamas fighters killed 1,200 people.

However, since then, it has been revealed by Haaretz that helicopters and tanks of the Israeli army had, in fact, killed many of the 1,139 soldiers and civilians claimed by Israel to have been killed by the Palestinian Resistance.

Israel’s offensive has levelled much of the enclave of 2.3 million people, and the Gaza Health Ministry says more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed. Displaced people are living in dire conditions with a hunger crisis.

Thousands in Britain have taken part in protests for months to call on the government to restrict arms sales to Israel.

Polls show the British public broadly supports ending arms sales to Israel. More than 50 per cent of the public would support the decision and only 13 per cent are opposed, YouGov found at the end of July.

But Britain’s decision also risks causing a diplomatic row with Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said the British decision was shameful and would embolden Hamas.

British Defence Minister, John Healey, said the government had a duty “to tell the hardest truths” to its “closest friends”, and stressed it remained committed to supporting Israel if it came under direct attack again.

Monday’s announcement was seen as the latest toughening of the new British government’s position on Israel over the conduct of the Gaza war.

In July, Starmer dropped the previous government’s objections to the International Criminal Court Prosecutor’s pursuit of an arrest warrant for Netanyahu. Starmer’s government has also restarted funding for the main the UN Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA.

READ: Netanyahu says ‘shameful’ of UK to halt some arms export licences to Israel