Israeli sources indicate that Britain’s Labour government is poised to impose an arms export ban on Israel.
This move is viewed as a direct extension of the new British government’s decision to withdraw its objection to arrest warrants for the Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
It’s also seen as a direct result of the International Court of Justice‘s July 19 non-binding ruling declaring Israeli “occupation” of Judea and Samaria to be “unlawful.”
Consequently, both the withdrawal of objections to the arrest warrants and the impending arms embargo are considered legal decisions stemming from the ICJ’s ruling.
Officials in the Israeli Foreign Ministry and diplomatic circles are engaging in behind-the-scenes discussions in an effort to avert this decision, but they remain pessimistic. They believe the decision appears inevitable at this juncture. A delegation of British legal experts visited Israel last week to assess the situation in Gaza.
This anticipated action adds to the “unofficial boycotts” and less formal measures taken by Western European countries in recent months. These nations have halted or delayed shipments of raw materials to Israeli industries that produce military equipment for the Israel Defense Forces.
In May, International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan requested arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant and three Hamas leaders—Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh. The previous British government, under the Conservative Party’s Rishi Sunak’s leadership, took a step that was well-received by Israeli leadership when it filed an objection to the warrants request with the court.
On Friday, Britain decided to withdraw its objection to the ICC issuing arrest warrants for the Israeli prime minister and defense minister.
Furthermore, Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced that Britain would lift its freeze on funding for UNRWA. In his inaugural speech to the British Parliament, Lammy stated that Britain would release £21 million ($26.5 million) intended “to support life-saving operations in Gaza and provide basic services in the area.”
Originally published by Israel Hayom.
