[CAAT logo with an image of the Houses of Parliament] [1]

JOINT STATEMENT: [2] GOVERNMENT’S DELAY IN MAKING A DECISION ON ARMS
EXPORTS TO ISRAEL IS UNCONSCIONABLE

THE UK GOVERNMENT’S DELAY IN MAKING A DECISION ON WHETHER TO STOP ARMS
EXPORTS TO ISRAEL IS UNCONSCIONABLE. IT IS AT TOTAL ODDS WITH BRITAIN’S
CLEAR MORAL AND LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY NOT TO RENDER AID AND ASSISTANCE TO
ISRAEL’S GENOCIDE IN THE GAZA STRIP, ITS UNLAWFUL MILITARY OCCUPATION OF
THE WEST BANK INCLUDING EAST JERUSALEM, AND ITS REGIME OF APARTHEID AGAINST
ALL PALESTINIANS. 

In the past week alone, Israel’s ground invasion of Khan Younis has
killed dozens of Palestinians, displacing 190,000 people. Last Saturday,
Israel once again bombed a school sheltering displaced Palestinians in Deir
al-Balah, killing over 30 Palestinians. In the occupied West Bank, Israel
continues its military invasions and assassinations of Palestinians, with
at least 554 Palestinians killed since October 2023. 

The UK’s deadly arms trade with Israel includes its contribution to the
F-16 and F-35 fighter jets that Israel is using in its bombardment of the
Gaza Strip. 15% of every F35 that Israel is using to bomb Gaza is made by
British industry.  The Israeli military has armed these jets with
2,000lb bombs [3], explosives with a lethal radius up to 365m. A UN
report found that these bombs have been used in ’emblematic’ cases of
indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks on Gaza. 

The government’s own Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, under which all
arms exports are assessed, states that export licences should not be issued
if there is a “clear risk” arms exports might be used in a “serious
violation of international humanitarian law”. The Arms Trade Treaty, to
which Britain is a State Party, outlines that a State must not export arms
if there is “potential” that they could be used to commit violations of
international human rights or humanitarian law. It is inconceivable that
after over 75 years of Israel’s regime of military occupation and
apartheid, and nearly 10 months of Israel’s genocidal assault on
Palestinians in Gaza, with over 40,000 killed, that the government’s
legal advice has adjudged that such a risk does not exist. 

In January, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the world’s highest
court, found it plausible that Israel is breaching the Genocide Convention
in its assault on Palestinians in Gaza. Israel has ignored the binding
interim measures adopted by the Court. In a separate opinion issued last
week, the ICJ ordered Israel to end its illegal military occupation of
Palestinian land.  

In April, the UN Human Rights Council [4] called on all states “to
cease the sale, transfer and diversion of arms, munitions and other
military equipment to Israel” as an urgent measure to prevent further
violations of international law. In June, UN experts announced [5] that
States and companies must end arms transfers to Israel immediately or risk
responsibility for human rights violations, “possibly including
genocide”. They specified that this “must include indirect transfers
through intermediary countries that could ultimately be used by Israeli
forces, particularly in the ongoing attacks on Gaza.” 

The responsibility on all states not to aid Israel’s grave international
crimes is clear. Britain must immediately end ALL arms trade with Israel. 

WE DEMAND THE UK GOVERNMENT ABIDE BY ITS DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL LAW
OBLIGATIONS BY IMMEDIATELY: 

* INTRODUCING A COMPREHENSIVE MILITARY EMBARGO TO END THE TWO-WAY ARMS
TRADE WITH ISRAEL. 
* ENDING ALL FURTHER MILITARY ASSISTANCE TO ISRAEL, INCLUDING THROUGH THE
RAF BASE IN AKROTIRI. 

Palestinians in Gaza cannot wait any longer for the UK government to live
up to its responsibilities not to aid and abet their slaughter. How many
thousands more must be killed before David Lammy will act and stop arming
Israel?  

CAMPAIGN AGAINST ARMS TRADE 

PALESTINE SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN 

WAR ON WANT 

Read Online

Campaign Against Arms Trade

Unit 1.9, The Green House,
244 - 254 Cambridge Heath Road,
London
E2 9DA

Tel: 020 7281 0297

Web: www.caat.org.uk [6]

Email: [email protected]

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