The UK government must end its complicity in Israel's killing

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Hi John,
Today the number of people killed in Israel’s horrifying assault on Gaza reached 30,000, including more than 10,000 children. Yet the UK government has said it has “insufficient information” to place an embargo on arms exports to Israel. It’s sickening and wrong.

Officials in Belgium, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands have all concluded otherwise, and banned arms sales to Israel in recent months.

The International Court of Justice found in January that there is a “plausible” case that Israel is committing genocide, and began a detailed investigation. But the current UK government is happy for British companies to keep profiting from enabling these appalling crimes. We have to change this.

Can you join the campaign to stop arms sales to Israel by emailing the foreign secretary now?
Take action ([link removed])
We know the UK government has been feeling the pressure in recent months on this. Court documents have revealed that the Foreign Office carried out a review of arms exports to Israel in November, but ultimately decided not to suspend sales.

Officials had “serious concerns” that Israel was committing violations of international humanitarian law, but concluded they had “insufficient information” to assess whether they had taken place. Foreign secretary David Cameron decided not to impose a ban on the basis that he believed “Israel is committed to comply with international humanitarian law”.

That position is becoming more and more impossible to defend.

Last week, UN human rights experts warned that weapons transfers to Israel must stop immediately, as they are likely to violate international law. “Such transfers are prohibited even if the exporting state does not intend the arms to be used in violation of the law – or does not know with certainty that they would be used in such a way – as long as there is a clear risk,” they wrote.

Since 2015 the UK has licensed at least £487 million worth of arms exports to Israel, Campaign Against Arms Trade has shown. UK companies are responsible for around 15% of components for F-35 fighter jets, which have been heavily involved in the bombing of Gaza, and are worth an estimated £336 million alone.

This is not just about past exports. The government admitted in January that there are 28 ongoing arms export licences to Israel, and 28 pending applications for equipment most likely to be used by the Israeli forces in offensive operations, including for combat aircraft. With every day the UK fails to act, its complicity in the killing deepens.

Please write to the UK government now and tell it to impose an arms embargo.
Stop the UK’s sale of arms to Israel ([link removed])
Together we can increase the pressure on the UK government to take the action that it undoubtedly knows it should take – to stop providing Israel with the weapons to continue its mass killings of civilians on illegally occupied land.

Thank you,
Jonathan Stevenson
Campaigner at Global Justice Now

PS. On 14 March we’re holding an online teach-in on Palestine to help answer supporters’ questions about the background to this crisis. Find out more and register via our website ([link removed]) .

Notes
1. As Gaza death toll passes 30,000, grave-digger longs to build houses again ([link removed]) , Reuters, 29 February 2024
2. Know Their Names: Palestinian children killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza ([link removed]) , Al Jazeera, 25 January 2024
3. Revealed: David Cameron advised continuing arms exports to Israel ([link removed]) , Campaign Against Arms Trade, 19 January 2024
4. Court orders Netherlands to halt delivery of fighter jet parts to Israel ([link removed]) , Al Jazeera, 12 February 2024
5. UN court orders Israel to ensure acts of genocide are not committed in Gaza ([link removed]) , Guardian, 26 January 2024
6. Arms exports to Israel must stop immediately: UN experts ([link removed]) , UN Human Rights, 23 February 2024
7. UK export licences approved for military goods to Israel since May 2015 ([link removed]) , Campaign Against Arms Trade
8. UK Government’s Refusal to Suspend Arms Transfers to Israel ([link removed]) , Amnesty International UK & others, 28 February 2024

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