UK's sale of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel is lawful, high court rules
Al-Haq, a human rights group based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, took legal action against Britain's Department for Business and Trade over its decision to exempt F-35 parts when it suspended some arms export licences last year.
The UK had assessed that Israel was not committed to complying with international humanitarian law, in relation to humanitarian access and the treatment of detainees, as the basis for its decision.
But Britain decided to 'carve out' F-35 licences, with the government saying suspending those licences would disrupt a global programme that supplies parts for the aircraft, with a knock-on impact on international security.
Any such disruption would 'undermine US confidence in the UK and Nato', the Ministry of Defence said.
Al-Haq argued at a hearing last month that the decision was unlawful as it was in breach of Britain's obligations under international law, including the Geneva conventions.
But the high court dismissed the group's challenge in a written ruling.
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