Britain: Stop Arming Israel

Nick Clegg talking sense!

The Downing Steeet petition is here.

And, as Charlie Marks sets out, the Campaign Against The Arms Trade has plenty of details:

Export licences approved in the first half of 2008 included:

• components for combat aircraft
• components for electronic warfare equipment
• components for helmet mounted display equipment
• components for military aero-engines
• components for naval radars
• components for surface-to-air missiles
• equipment for the use of weapon sights
• general military aircraft components
• general naval vessel components
• military communications equipment
• technology for the use of weapon sights

Israel has used F-16 fighter aircraft and Apache combat helicopters to bomb Lebanese and Palestinian towns and villages. These contain significant UK components including missile triggering systems for Apaches and Head-Up Displays for F-16s.

In July 2002, the government approved the export of components for F-16 fighters being made by the US company Lockheed Martin and sold to Israel. Then Foreign Secretary Jack Straw justified the sales saying: “The Government has judged that the UK’s security and defence relationship with the US is fundamental to the UK’s national security … Defence collaboration with the US is also key to maintaining a strong defence industrial capacity.” He went on “Any interruption to the supply of these components would have serious implications for the UK’s defence relations with the United States.” In other words, the commercial relationship between BAE Systems and US companies such as Lockheed Martin was judged more important than the lives of Palestinians.

The UK continues to sell arms to Israel despite the UN stating that Israel “violates humanitarian law” and even though the UK’s own “Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria” are supposed to assess the impact on regional peace, security and stability and the human rights record of the recipient.

For suppliers, see here.