UK pro-Israel group split as patron leaves over arms export ban for occupation regime

A prominent patron of the notorious pro-Israel advocacy group UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) has stepped down from his position as a result of a disagreement over the government’s decision to suspend some arms exports to the occupation state.

Lord Alex Carlile, a crossbench member of the House of Lords, expressed support for the UK government’s decision, stating that suspending 30 export licences was “the right” thing to do. His stance was directly at odds with UKLFI’s position, as the group announced on the same day its intention to challenge the government’s decision through legal action.

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The Labour government announced last week that it will suspend 30 out of 350 arms export licences to Israel after a government review found possible breaches of international humanitarian law in their use in Gaza. Carlile backed the move. In an article published on the same day as the arms export suspension was announced, the peer accused former Foreign Secretary David Cameron of “sitting on clear legal advice” since February, arguing that such a delay “cannot be justified”. He praised Prime Minister Keir Starmer for showing “courage and conviction in deciding that the right thing must be done, however difficult it is.”

Carlile expressed dismay at the condemnation of the arms exports ban by figures such as the UK’s Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis and former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. He emphasised the importance of upholding the rule of law, stating: “It is crucial that the rule of law — which prevents the abuse of state power and applies to all — is not shouted down in an unruly way by people who are acting on prejudice, dressed up as principle.”

The peer also noted that the UK’s decision follows similar actions by courts and governments in Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Canada, calling it a “measured decision”.

In stark contrast, UKLFI demanded a judicial review of the decision, and questioned its basis. In the same week, the group also threatened the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court with legal action because he is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.

UKLI says that the suspension of arms is “unlawful” and based on “misinformation”. According to the group’s chief executive, Jonathan Turner, “In truth, it was a political decision to appease members of the public who hate Israel based on misinformation and biased media coverage of the war.”

Following Carlile’s resignation, UKLFI promptly removed his profile from their website, underscoring the significance of this disagreement within the organisation. The departure of such an influential figure raises questions about the group’s planned legal challenge and its overall advocacy for the state of Israel.

Last month, UKLFI was humiliated by a legal defeat after it sought to have the distinguished British-Palestinian surgeon Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah suspended and banned from practising medicine. The group’s complaint was rejected by the General Medical Council.

The so-called “lawfare” organisation is known widely for filing vexatious complaints and litigation to silence critics of Israel and its apartheid policies. It was behind a complaint to remove art work by children from Gaza which was on display at a London hospital. In another case, UKLFI was slapped down by the chairman of an English football club for allegedly threatening behaviour.

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