In an unprecedented move, the UK’s opposition Labour Party has urged the government to suspend arms sales to Israel amid concerns over a potential large-scale Israeli military operation in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip.
Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy has called on the government to halt the sale of arms that could be used in the assault on Rafah. This appeal is in direct contrast to the stance of the ruling Conservative government, which, according to Foreign Secretary David Cameron on Sunday, believes that “stopping arms exports to Israel is not a wise course of action.”
Lammy stated, “The party has opposed any Israeli attack on Rafah for several months and has been clear that such an attack should not go forward, a position that was part of a Labour proposal passed by the British House of Commons in February. This is one of the reasons we have demanded Cameron to publish a summary of legal advice related to arms sales.”
He added, “President Biden was right when he told Prime Minister Netanyahu that the United States would not supply Israel with weapons that could be used in an attack on Rafah, despite international community warnings.”
Lammy further noted that the U.S. has been clear it will continue to provide weapons that allow Israel to defend itself.
The Shadow Foreign Secretary emphasized that “the UK government must now work with the United States to try to prevent the attack on Rafah by clearly stating that it will reassess its exports, and should the attack on the city continue, it will join its American allies in suspending weapons or components that could be used in the Israeli attack.”
Former British Home Secretary Suella Braverman accused Labour of “abandoning Israel at a critical moment,” alleging that Israel is “acting in legitimate self-defense against Hamas.” She asserted, “We know that Hamas militants and many hostages are still in Rafah.”
Braverman argued, “It is essential for Israel to go to Rafah to defend itself and weaken Hamas, and the UK must maintain its support at this time. Suspending arms exports would be merely a symbolic appeasement to Hamas.”
Discussing whether the UK would follow the U.S. lead, Lord Cameron stated on Sunday that the U.S. and the UK are “in a completely different situation.”
He explained, “The U.S. is a major supplier of arms to Israel, including 1000-pound bombs, while the UK provides less than 1% of Israel’s weapons. We are not a governmental supplier, but we have a licensing system that can be halted if there is a real risk of a serious international human rights violation.”
A government source, not named by the paper, criticized Lammy’s understanding of the situation, saying, “David Lammy does not understand that Britain is not in the same position as the United States, as the country has never supplied Israel with arms. It is somewhat embarrassing for Lammy as he does not understand this.”
The article ends on a note of the ongoing debate within the UK over its foreign policy direction, particularly in relation to Israel and the volatile situation in Gaza.
