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At the end of January, the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel’s actions in Gaza could amount to genocide, and began a full investigation. Not only does this mean Israel must take steps to prevent genocide, but it also means countries like Britain must end their own complicity and prevent it.
Things are changing, even if much too slowly. Spain has suspended arms exports to Israel, as has Italy and Wallonia in Belgium. Yesterday, a Dutch appeals court ordered the government to block exports of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel within seven days, arguing that “It is undeniable that there is a clear risk the exported F-35 parts are used in serious violations of international humanitarian law.”
The British government’s role in facilitating the most shocking crimes in Palestine is not a new development. Britain has consistently sold weapons to Israel, and engaged in deep levels of military cooperation, in spite of Israel’s numerous violations of international law going back decades. With this latest escalation, however, the failure to impose an immediate arms embargo is indefensible.
Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT) says that, since 2015, the UK has licensed at least £482 million of arms sales to Israel. This includes £146 million in direct arms sales from the UK. And it also includes military equipment like components for F-35s – in the words of its producer Lockheed Martin “the most lethal… fighter jet in the world” - which are currently being used to destroy Gaza. Around 15% of the F-35 is produced in the UK, and CAAT estimates these sales to be worth another £336 million since 2016.
Can you take action to demand an immediate embargo?
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