Symbolic British Israeli arms ban under attack from opposing sides

Labour groups call for total ban on weapons exports while pro-Israelis condemn embargo as aiding Hamas and Iran

Clockwise from top left: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, British MP Jeremy Corbyn, British MP Zarah Sultana, and Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis. Getty Images

The British government is facing a growing backlash from both pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli groups following its decision to impose a partial ban on the sale of weapons to Israel.

With just 30 out of 350 exports licences revoked there was a growing chorus of dissent within Labour ranks and beyond over the small scale of the ban, particularly given the advanced F-35 fighter jet is exempted. The symbolic nature of the ban was a major bone of contention following the announcement.

Zarah Sultana, a Labour MP who has had the whip suspended, called the embargo just a “small fraction” of the arms that Britain ships to Israel.

“This ban still allows the UK to keep 320 arms licences including selling parts for F-35 fighter jets, known as ‘the most lethal’ in the world. The government needs to ban all arms sales.”

Boris Johnson led the pro-Israeli criticism, with the former prime minister condemning Labour for “abandoning Israel” and asking if the government wanted Hamas to win in Gaza.

It was also reported that the White House felt let down by Britain’s decision, having allegedly been assured the ban would not be imposed, although foreign office sources stated that Washington had been informed in advance of the move.

US National Security spokesman John Kirby said the UK gave the US a "heads up" before the announcement.

"Every nation can speak for themselves on how and to what degree they support Israel," Mr Kirby told reporters. "As we speak, there's been no determination by the United States that [the Israelis] have violated international humanitarian law."

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu angrily condemned the decision as “shameful” and vowed to defeat Hamas “with or without British arms”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. EPA

Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis said the decision “beggars belief” at a time when “six hostages murdered in cold blood by cruel terrorists were being buried by their families”. Foreign Secretary David Lammy made the announcement in London as families gathered for funerals in Israel on Monday.

Ban all arms

The Labour Muslim Network led demands for the government to impose a ban on all arms exports to Israel, something Margaret Thatcher did while she was prime minister during the Lebanon invasion in 1982.

The influential group stated that given Mr Lammy’s conclusion in announcing the ban on Monday that Israel had likely violated international humanitarian law, that Britain should impose “an immediate suspension of all arms exports licences to Israel”.

“We cannot continue to supply over 300 export licences to a military that has shown complete disregard to international humanitarian law,” it said in a statement.

Afzal Khan told The National that he was pleased that Mr Lammy had taken “the important first step” in suspending export licences to Israel.

Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy announcing the arms export ban in parliament. AFP

But he said the key issue was a permanent ceasefire to “stop innocent civilians being killed”, and that this “must remain our utmost priority”.

The grouping of independent pro-Palestinian MPs said in a statement that the announcement “must be the first step in ending all arms to Israel”.

“The government has finally admitted there is a clear risk of weapons being used to commit violations of international law,” it added. “It is beyond shameful that it took the lives of more than 40,000 Palestinians for this admission to be made public.”

Zarah Sultana, the suspended Labour MP. Parliament TV

F-35 exemption condemned

The exemption of F-35 parts was made because banning them would undermine the global “flight supply chain that is vital to the security of the UK and our allies”, Mr Lammy told MPs.

But the exception for the aircraft that are used extensively by Israel to bomb Gaza as well as Lebanon and Syria, was criticised as “catastrophically bad” by pressure groups.

“Exempting the F-35 fighter jet programme – essentially giving this programme a blank cheque to continue despite knowing that F-35s are being used extensively in Gaza – is a catastrophically bad decision,” said Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK’s chief executive.

The decision came as the Campaign Against Arms Trade said it had been possible to confirm that an F-35 was used in an attack on 13 July on an Israeli-designated safe zone in al-Mawasi in southern Gaza that killed 90 people.

Undermined alliance?

Richard Pater, chief executive of the Jerusalem-based think tank BICOM, said that while the ban had been expected, the fact it was imposed on the day Israel mourned the death of six murdered hostages was “particularly insensitive and difficult”.

While the weapons supplied by Britain were not very substantial, the ban had “super symbolic significance” coming from one of Israel’s “closest allies and partners”.

“This is very awkward timing when Israel is in a defensive posture against so many enemies orchestrated by the Iranians,” he told The National. “Israel and Britain share joint enemies and the message that this sends to them is incredibly problematic.”

The Labour Friends of Israel group also said it was “deeply concerned” by the message the ban sent to Iran, adding that it could embolden Israel’s enemies and lead to “greater escalation.”

Yoav Gallant, Israel’s defence minister, who Mr Lammy visited in Tel Aviv recently, was clearly angered by the decision, stating on X that he was “deeply disheartened” by it, while his nation was fighting on “seven different fronts”.

Foreign Minister Israel Katz added that the embargo sent “a very problematic message to the Hamas terrorist organisation and its backers in Iran”.