UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government is not expected to announce a suspension of arms sales to Israel in the Commons this week, despite feverish speculation that a move could be confirmed as early as Tuesday.
A spokesperson for the British prime minister confirmed on Monday that there had been no update from either the foreign office or from Foreign Secretary David Lammy on the matter.
This was later also confirmed by sources close to the Foreign Secretary.
Speculation mounted that an announcement was likely after reports from Israel said officials there had insisted the UK will “likely announce it will suspend issuing expert licenses for arms sales to Israel in the coming days.”
Lammy is expected to appear in the House of Commons on Tuesday for the usual Foreign Questions session.
The pre-published list of questions shows that 13 out of 24 questions selected by ballot relate to Israel and Gaza.
He will be questioned in the session on the “planned timescale for completing his review of Israel’s compliance with international humanitarian law.”
On July 18, Lammy told the Commons he had not been able to access legal advice given to the previous government on the matter, so he had initiated the process himself.
But he said: ”It’s a quasi legal process. It is very somber and very serious.”
The lack of an expected announcement on arms sales on Tuesday does not mean the government is prepared to act on any legal advice it receives on the matter in the future.
“I can’t comment on the previous government’s actions on this matter,” said one source. “But to say we would not act on any serious legal advice would be absurd. Especially in a government that is packed full of lawyers.”
Jewish News has learned that Attorney General Richard Hermer KC travelled to Israel last Thursday.
As well as meeting with Israel officials about the decision by the UK to withdraw its objections to the International Criminal Court’s application for arrest warrants against Benjamin Netanyahu and his defense minister, it is understood that Hermer also visited Area C in the West Bank.
Sources said he had spoken with human rights organizations in the region, although it is unclear if this has to do with settlement issues, or with the use of arms.
As promised by Labour ahead of their landslide general election win, the new foreign secretary has begun a process in which he will look at the legal advice made by government lawyers, the Attorney General, Treasury Counsel on others on arms sales to Israel, and whether there is a risk they have been used in breaches of international law in Gaza.
In the Commons earlier this month Lammy said of the new application to get legal advice himself: “It is a process that has begun."
“I’m not able to look back on advice made available to previous government ministers. So that process has begun. It’s a quasi legal process. It is very somber and very serious,” he said.
Asked if he would eventually publish legal advice given to him, Lammy said: “I will make that assessment and I will come forward to Parliament at the appropriate time and judgment. Having not received the legal advice and the assessment. I don’t want to reach that conclusion today.”
Jewish News is reporting that the government wants to be part of added international pressure on the Israeli government to agree to a cease-fire in Gaza. The government believes that the threat of an arms sale bans is one of the few options left.
Arms sales from the UK represent a small proportion of total transfers to Israel, but this immaterial to the government’ legal obligations.
Rishi Sunak’s government came under sustained pressure to publish the legal advice it received on the matter from members of Parliament from all sides. But they failed to do so before the election was called.
The new Labour government is also determined to be seen as fully aware of Israel’s right to defend itself from multiple enemies, including Hezbollah in the north, and from the wider Iranian threat.
If it proceeds with an arms sale suspension, the government will attempt to argue it does not impact on Israel’s defensive capabilities.
Lammy has told MPs that he was fully supportive of the decision by the UK and the U.S. to deploy drones in response to the barrage of missiles filed by Iran.
Two announcements by the government about resuming funding to UNRWA, and the ICC decision, have sparked a backlash in some sections of the UK community.
The prospect of a third announcement on arms, especially after the deadly Hezbollah strike during the weekend, sparked even further concern about the government’s direction.
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis has requested a meeting with Starmer to discuss concerns over the government’s stance on Israel.
This article is written by Lee Harpin and reprinted with permission from The Jewish News