The government’s suspension of arms sales to Israel, while possibly temporary, shows the impact of the months of protests

Clementine Russell, Counterfire, 7 August 2024

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Though it can sometimes be hard to see the policy impact of consistent protesting, the government’s latest decision to suspend arms sales to Israel whilst ministers carry out a policy review is reflective of the pressure that protests have put on the new Labour government.

Arms sales to Israel have been one of the key factors in the UK’s complicity in genocide. According to Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), UK industry provides 15%, by value, of the US-made F35 stealth combat aircraft that has been used in the bombardment of Gaza. UK industry has profited from Israel’s ongoing ethnic cleansing with the value of UK parts in F-35s delivered to Israel estimated by CAAT to be at least £336m. Supporters of Palestine have been repeatedly calling for the end of arms exports to Israel since 7 October. After ten months of genocide, the UK has finally listened.

An individual involved in arms exports to Israel who was seeking permission reportedly received a response that stated, ‘suspended pending policy review’. A Department for Business and Trade spokesperson said in a statement: ‘It is vital that we uphold both our domestic and international legal obligations when it comes to arms exports. We are reviewing the advice regarding exports to Israel and no decision has been made.’ Foreign secretary David Lammy has refused to publish the government’s legal advice on arms exports to Israel.

If, following the policy review, government lawyers find that Israel has engaged in war crimes, all exports would have to cease permanently. Though it’s possible that arms exports could be unrestricted after the review, the abundance of evidence of Israel’s war crimes makes this seem unlikely, though it is still important to take the announcement with a grain of salt.

The decision follows other important steps in ending Israeli apartheid, such as the return of funding to UNRWA and the acceptance of the ICJ’s ruling. Starmer has no doubt felt the mounting pressure to change policy on Israel. The election of pro-Palestine independents has highlighted how important issues surrounding Palestine are to voters. Pressure has also come from ongoing protests, including the most recent national demonstration on 4 August, with the turnout estimated to have been around 100,000.

The Department for Business and Trade later stated that: ‘There has been no change to our approach to export licences to Israel.’ This, plus the refusal to suspend arms sales outright, even following the ICC’s application for arrest warrants and the ICJ’s ruling, shows how our government’s inclinations still lie in supporting Israel. This highlights the continuing need for protests and increased pressure on the government.

Though this development feels like the bare minimum – something that should have happened months ago – it is a positive sign that things are beginning to change. It can often feel hopeless as a singular person protesting against genocide. But when we come together, consistently, as a community, we have real political power, which is why we have to continue mounting pressure on our government to end support for Israel unequivocally.