Make no mistake: this arms ban is a blow to the Israeli war machine – it will no longer be possible to import key components for F-16 jets, helicopters, drones and items which facilitate ground targeting, from the UK.
This move also applies pressure on Israel at a time when ceasefire talks continue to fail. The UK has been one of its staunchest allies throughout its horrific and relentless attacks on Gaza – so this ban, although incomplete, has important political value. We must make the most of this.
Right now, we need to tell the government that anything less than a full ban on weapons sales to Israel, a country under investigation for genocide, is horribly insufficient.[5] If the UK continues to support the delivery of F-35 fighter jets, described by their manufacturer as “the most lethal” in the world, it clearly risks maintaining the UK’s complicity in war crimes.
And we also need to ramp up the pressure on our leaders to use all available means to stop Israel’s attacks on Gaza. At the moment, the UK is not using every lever it has. In fact, in July the trade secretary announced he was seeking to deepen relations with Israel by starting talks over a new free trade deal – as we said at the time, rather than applying more pressure, this risks rewarding Israel for its war crimes.[6]
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