'We believe the UK Government is on the wrong side of history, and must stop the sale of arms to Israel.'
MPs will display a “Stop Arming Israel” banner outside Parliament today, to show their support for imposing an arms embargo on Israel.
The demonstration will take place before MPs debate a public petition, signed by more than 107,000 people, calling for the immediate revocation of all arms export licenses to Israel.
The debate will take place in Westminster Hall at 16:30 today.
The petition states that “Palestinian children have been made people have been crushed by buildings in airstrikes, and there have been many other tragedies.
“Arms that have been partly manufactured in the UK appear to be being used in the current military action in Gaza.”
It concludes: “We believe the UK Government is on the wrong side of history, and must stop the sale of arms to Israel.”
The UK has supplied F-35 fighter jet components that have been used in attacks killing civilians in Gaza. Some of these components ‘indirectly exported’ to Israel via the US.
In response to the petition, the government has said it “takes its export control responsibilities very seriously and rigorously assesses every application on a case-by-case basis against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria.”
In January, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s actions in Gaza could fall under the United Nations’ Convention on Genocide.
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) has pointed out that “the Genocide Convention places a duty on states to prevent genocide, so the British government’s decision to continue arms export and other military assistance to Israel in this context makes it complicit with Israel’s crimes”.
In September, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution demanding that Israel “brings to an end without delay its unlawful presence” in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The UK abstained in the vote.
PSC Director Ben Jamal said: “Opinion polls have shown that a majority of the public support the suspension of UK arms sales to Israel, because it is using them in a barbaric, unending assault on Palestinians in Gaza.
“The ICJ and the ICC have pointed towards Israel’s culpability for war crimes and crimes against humanity, with Amnesty International’s report last week providing forensic detail in concluding Israel is perpetrating the crime of genocide.”
Jamal added: “The debate in Parliament on ending all arms sales to Israel brings further pressure on the UK government to stop its complicity with Israel’s crimes.
“We call on all MPs to speak up and ensure the government fulfils its obligations under international law, starting with a full arms embargo on Israel.”
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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