He United Kingdom will suspend some 30 licenses -out of a total of 350- arms exports to Israel given the risk that they could be used to violate humanitarian law, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said on Monday.
The decision was taken after examining Israel’s compliance with international law during its military operations in Gaza, the British foreign minister explained during an appearance before the House of Commons (below).
The suspended licences will include, among others, components of military aircraft, helicopters and drones after the UK government concluded there was a “obvious risk that the items exported to Israel could be used for commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian law“.
In his statement, the Labour politician said that “in the face of a dispute like this, the government has a legal obligation to review export licences…”, while clarifying that the measure “is not a determination of innocence or guilt” and “not taken lightly”.
“Throughout my life I was a friend of Israel. “A liberal and progressive Zionist who believes in Israel as a democratic state and a land of the Jews, which has both the right to exist and to defend itself,” Lammy said. “But I also believe that Israel will only exist in security if there is a two-state solution that guarantees the rights of all Israeli citizens and their Palestinian neighbors, who have their own inalienable right to self-determination and security,” he added.
Lammy stressed that London government ‘not an international tribunal’ and “could not arbitrate on the question of whether Israel had violated international humanitarian law,” while specifying that the decision does not “prejudge any future decision by the competent courts.”
The minister also stressed that the suspension of these 30 licenses for the export of “objects that could be used in the current conflict in Gaza” This is not an arms embargoThe decision, which the British government will keep “under review”, will not, he said, have “a material impact on Israel’s security” because it only covers “objects that could be used in the current conflict”.
