UK government denies report of ‘secret arms embargo’ on Israel
The UK government issued a report on Friday that it had imposed a “secret arms embargo” on Israel, clarifying that there has been “no change” in its approach towards export licenses to its ally. The Daily Mail reported late on Friday that civil servants had frozen all applications for new arms export licenses to Israel.
The report added that representatives of the defense trade body had been told new requests for licenses would go ahead once the government decides on the review.
A spokesperson for the Department for Business and Trade informed Middle East Eye on Monday that it “continues to consider export license applications on a case-by-case basis against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria.”
“It is important that we maintain all our national and international legal obligations on the export of arms,” the spokesperson said and we are reviewing the advice regarding exports to Israel, and no decision has been made.” MEE understands that the licensing protocol has remained unchanged since the new Labour government took power last month.
The previous government disclosed in statistics published last month that no licenses for the export of UK-made weapons or military equipment had been revoked or refused following the Hamas-led attacks on 7 October. Also disclosed in statistics published was that over 100 UK export licenses for the sale of weapons, military equipment, and other controlled goods to Israel had been granted since the attacks.
Later on Monday, the Jewish Chronicle reported that the government had already started suspending arms export licenses to Israel, citing a source who, upon seeking authorization, was said to have received a notice stating: “Suspended pending policy review. “Asked to clarify this, a business department spokesperson repeated remarks to MEE earlier in the day, saying: “There has been no change to our approach to export licenses to Israel.”
Lammy has said he commissioned new legal advice into Israel’s compliance with international humanitarian law in its war on Gaza on his first day in office in early July.
The government planned to introduce restrictions on arms sales on the final day of parliament before summer recess last week, sources told MEE and other outlets.
But no announcements were made, with reports in the Times and Guardian suggesting the decision was delayed as the government identified which UK-made weapons may have been used in Israel’s war on Gaza and those used defensively – a distinction recently drawn by Lammy.
However, NGOs and campaigners have told MEE that they remain alarmed that the new government is deliberately delaying decision-making. At the same time, Israel continues to pound Gaza and scupper any chance of a ceasefire.
“We are more than ever concerned that the new government is following the same previous mistakes, applying double standards in upholding international law,” said Nicola Banks, advocacy lead at UK-based Action for Humanity.
The UK should—at the very least—suspend arms transfer to Israel immediately, said Banks, as the assessment of Israel’s compliance was conducted “as the bare minimum.”
Anna Stavrianakis, director of research and strategy at UK-based Shadow World Investigations and professor of international relations at the University of Sussex, called the apparent distinction the government tries to draw between offensive and defensive weapons “isn’t a thing.”
There is no doubt that there is a clear risk that UK military equipment transferred could and would be used to facilitate or commit serious violations of international law by Israel, including attacks amounting to war crimes, according to Yasmine Ahmed, the UK director of Human Rights Watch.
“In failing to suspend the licensing of equipment, the UK is at risk not only of breaching domestic law but also failing to take action to prevent genocide as the Public and Commercial Services Union, representing British civil servants, has requested a meeting with the Cabinet Office over the war in Gaza and its implications for government employees.
An earlier report in Declassified by a former aid civil servant working revealed that as many as 300 staff in the Foreign Office had formally raised concerns about Britain’s collaboration and support of Israel’s war on Gaza as early as this year.
PCS has requested to “negotiate a satisfactory resolution” on issues including the legality of the work undertaken in the civil service and members’ obligations under the civil service code. “PCS will always stand up for our members’ interests, and it is not in their best interests to undertake work that potentially breaks the law,” PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said. The Cabinet Office waited to respond and say whether it planned to meet with PCS as requested.
