Decision to delay Israel arms sale ban followed talks with Jewish Labour stakeholders
'Frank and engaging' talks included a warning of a potential scenario where UK supplied weapons were proven to be used in Gaza in breaches of international law
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Senior Jewish Labour stakeholders took part in “frank and engaging” discussions with government ministers ahead of the decision to delay any move on suspending arms sales to Israel, Jewish News understands.
During one such discussion, a leading communal figure and key supporter of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, expressed concern about the expected confirmation by foreign secretary David Lammy that the government would go ahead with a decision to halt the sale of all weapons deemed to be used in an offensive fashion in Gaza.
The loyal Labour supporter is understood to have complained: “The politics of this are awful. Some of us have family members living in Israel, putting their lives at risk on the front line.”
But the Labour leadership has been preparing for a scenario in which independent legal advice to His Majesty’s Government spelt out the likelihood that weapons used in Gaza by the IDF, supplied by this country, had been used in an indiscriminate way.
Such a scenario, if presented to government lawyers, including Richard Hermer KC, would leave the government with little option but to announce a suspension of export licences for specific weapons that they can link to suspected war crimes.
Investigations into this possibility have now begun, and are expected to be concluded by the time parliament returns from the summer recess.
Lammy told MPs on July 18 that he had initiated steps to secure legal advice around the use of UK supplied weapons.
Reports from Israel and on the far-left Novara Media website had suggested he was ready to announce an arms sale ban this week.
But Jewish News revealed on Monday this was not actually the case.
Hermer visited Area C in the West Bank last week, Jewish News has learned. He spoke with human rights organisations there on issues around settlements.
The new Attorney General, a member of Alyth Gardens synagogue who has had family serving in the IDF, has previously made clear his opposition to the “unlawful” occupation of the West Bank, describing it as “deeply damaging” to the interests of Israel and “wholly contrary to the values of tikkun olam that I grew up with and continue to guide me”.
Human rights barrister Philippe Sands KC, who is representing Palestine at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), has said that a recent ruling ordering the end to West Bank settlement required the British government to stop arming Israel.
The previous Tory government failed to disclose legal advice they received over how weapons licensed from the UK were being used in Gaza.
They were also receptive to Israeli diplomatic efforts not to take action that may impact on the fight against Hamas in Gaza.
Starmer has also made it clear that his government draws no moral equivalence between the “democratic state” of Israel and the “terrorist organisation” Hamas.
But while Israel has a right to defend itself from Hamas terrorism after the October 7th atrocity, a Labour government will not stand back while thousands of innocent men, women and children are killed in Gaza.
One communal figure, not opposed to an arms sale suspension being confirmed if the worst case scenario about UK supplied weapons being used in Gaza is confirmed, told Jewish News: “What other pressure can be put on Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire? All other diplomatic efforts to bring a ceasefire, to bring the release of the hostages, seemed to be making not the slightest bit of difference.
“If Netanyahu won’t listen, is it really a surprise that a key ally like the UK is forced to take drastic action to prevent the loss of innocent lives.”
The government’s decision to announce three decisions impacting on Israel – following the move to restore UNRWA funding and to withdraw opposition to the ICC warrant arrest case – was not entirely unexpected.
But the need to announce three moves so soon after the election victory did take many in the community by surprise.
In the aftermath of last week’s decision regarding the ICC case, Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis requested a meeting with Starmer.
Board of Deputies president Phil Rosenberg also wrote an op-ed for the Sunday Times.
Some Labour figures, it is understood, believed there would be more support within the community to stand up to anti-Netanyahu moves.
But attempts to compare Starmer with Jeremy Corbyn because of the government’s stance on Israel by some have been described as “very,very, wide of the mark.”
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