THE Foreign Secretary has been called out for continuing Tory secrecy over official legal advice on arms sales to Israel – amid demands he ban weapons exports immediately.
Concern is high that the UK Government is complicit in war crimes by continuing to arm Israel as it bombards Gaza.
David Lammy, who in opposition called for the Tories to release legal advice on the matter, has deferred doing so as Foreign Secretary.
He has instead ordered a new “quasi-legal” review of the evidence. His Tory predecessor David Cameron said the evidence supported the continued export of weapons to Israel.
But critics say the rules require the Government to suspend arms sales, as past prime ministers including Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair did, if there is even a risk they are being used illegally.
Speaking after a statement to the Commons in which he announced the resumption of UNRWA funding, the Foreign Secretary batted away calls for him to release the legal advice and to halt arms sales.
Lammy said that one of his first actions on taking office was to order a new review of the evidence and pledged to “make my views known with full accountability and transparency”.
Describing Israel as being situated in "one of the toughest neighbourhoods in the world", with reference to attacks from Houthis, Hezbollah and Hamas, Lammy ruled out a "blanket ban between our countries and Israel".
He added that he would investigate "the issues in relation to offensive weapons in Gaza".
Brendan O’Hara, the SNP’s foreign affairs spokesperson, told The National it was time for the Foreign Secretary to “be bold” and pointed to the shift in Lammy’s position since coming to power.
He said: “David Lammy stated that he is committed to a review of Israel’s compliance with international humanitarian law. While I am encouraged that he seems to be more committed to the protection of Palestinian life than his predecessor, this call for a review is simply not good enough.
“This is not the time for a review. This is time for action. Labour must commit to what the Tories were unwilling to do suspend arms licenses to Israel. This must be accompanied by the release of the legal information provided by the FCDO.
“This is not a new concept. This is exactly the action that Lammy called for whilst in opposition. Now he occupies the position of Foreign Secretary, he must be bold.”
O’Hara (above) insisted Israel was plainly in breach of international humanitarian law because of its attacks on civilian buildings.
There have also been reports that the country has weaponised water and it has been accused of failing to let enough aid into Gaza, where illness and hunger and spreading rapidly.
O’Hara added: “Given the overwhelming evidence of Israel's violations of international humanitarian law – recorded across multiple platforms and confirmed by independent human rights monitoring bodies – I put it to Lammy that there is no further need for review, only the immediate suspension of arms licenses.
“I am asking Lammy what I asked Cameron many times – why have the arms licenses to Israel not been immediately suspended, pending the nine months of reviews which have been conducted as to their compliance with international humanitarian law?
“Why have Israel been allowed to continue their barbaric acts of collective punishment and systematic war crimes of starvation and indiscriminate bombardment of children and aid workers, in part with arms supplied by the UK licenses, when the UK Government is in possession of legal advice which would suggest that Israel is not complying with international humanitarian law?”
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (below), who now sits as an independent MP, said it was “obvious to anybody watching the horror unfold live on our TV screens that we should end arms sales to Israel”.
He told The National: “If the decision is contingent on the publication of legal advice, then I’d simply ask this: what are you waiting for? Why is yet another process being instigated to conclude what we already know?
“Every minute the government delays is another minute it risks complicity in one of the worst crimes against humanity of our generation.”
The demands come as a top UN court on Friday ruled that Israel’s settlements in the West Bank were illegal and demanded the country withdraw from occupied territories.
The Foreign Office was approached for comment.
