Latest news with #UK-supplied
Middle East Eye
6 days ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Opinion: Why the UK refuses to do the one thing that could stop Israel's 'intolerable' war on Gaza
What Israel is doing in Gaza is 'morally wrong and unjustifiable', its actions 'intolerable' and 'an affront to the values of the British people'. These are not the words of a pro-Palestine activist, but of the UK foreign secretary, David Lammy, who has now suspended negotiations on a new free trade agreement and vowed to review co-operation on the 2030 bilateral road map. But the UK government still won't take the single fastest and most effective step: ending military cooperation with Israel and halting all arms sales. Lammy said in parliament that 'arms are not getting to Israel that could be used in Gaza'. This is false. The UK government last year suspended a small number of arms export licences - around 10 percent - after determining that Israel is not committed to complying with international humanitarian law, but it allowed UK participation in the F-35 fighter jet programme to continue. In addition, new data from both Israel and the UK raises concerns about the scale and end use of UK-supplied weaponry. A protester holds a placard reading "No genocide, no war, Kier Starmer's got to go" as he takes part in a Pro-Palestinian march in central London, on 15 March, 2025 (AFP)
Middle East Eye
6 days ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Why the UK refuses to do the one thing that could stop Israel's 'intolerable' war on Gaza
What Israel is doing in Gaza is 'morally wrong and unjustifiable', its actions 'intolerable' and 'an affront to the values of the British people'. These are not the words of a pro-Palestine activist, but of the UK foreign secretary, David Lammy, who has now suspended negotiations on a new free trade agreement and vowed to review co-operation on the 2030 bilateral road map. But the UK government still won't take the single fastest and most effective step: ending military cooperation with Israel and halting all arms sales. Lammy said in parliament that 'arms are not getting to Israel that could be used in Gaza'. This is false. The UK government last year suspended a small number of arms export licences - around 10 percent - after determining that Israel is not committed to complying with international humanitarian law, but it allowed UK participation in the F-35 fighter jet programme to continue. In addition, new data from both Israel and the UK raises concerns about the scale and end use of UK-supplied weaponry. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters In its September 2024 decision to restrict certain arms sales, the government decided on the narrowest possible approach: it suspended licences for weapons with a direct use in Gaza, but it did not halt wider arms exports to Israel for use by the army - such as for training purposes or for its illegal occupation of the West Bank - or for Israeli industry use. Yet there is a much wider pattern of British military collaboration with Israel and its illegal practices, beyond direct violence in Gaza. Even within the government's narrow position, there is a massive loophole. The suspension does not cover components that go to the USA to be put into F35s to be sent to Israel. UK companies provide 15 percent of every new F-35 fighter jet made. Neither does the suspension cover components that reach Israel via a global spare parts pool. The pool is coordinated by the US Department of Defense and arms companies Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney. Yet apparently there is no system in place to track the movement of parts into and out of the pool - which the British government says makes it impossible for it to prevent UK-made parts from reaching Israel. Lack of political will This is hard to believe, to the point of absurdity. The world's largest military producer and massive arms companies, unable to track their supply chain? If faulty parts were found, you can bet they'd want to pinpoint where they came from. Instead, this appears to be a question of political will: tracking parts to avoid them being used in a genocide simply isn't on the agenda. We know that Israel is using F-35s to bomb Gaza, assist ground troops and implement the blockade. The Israeli army has reportedly conducted more than 15,000 flight hours and 8,000 missions over Gaza since 7 October 2023. This past March, Israel used F-35s to break the ceasefire, killing more than 400 Palestinians in a single day. Follow Middle East Eye's live coverage of the Israel-Palestine war UK parts have been central to this killing spree. The UK government licence for the F-35 was used 14 times more in 2023 than in any previous year. The UK government accepts that there is a clear risk that F-35 components might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian law. Nonetheless, the government asserts in court documents that this is outweighed by the 'immensely serious and imminent risks to international peace and security' posed by a suspension of F-35 parts. What are these immensely serious and imminent risks? The UK government's position is growing increasingly untenable, and seems more brittle by the day Apparently, they are too sensitive for the public to know. Court documents are heavily redacted, leaving only vague claims about damage to the credibility of Nato war plans and a potential reduction of Nato air control in the event of prolonged disruption or conflict in other parts of the world. These ambiguous risks are apparently deemed to be more serious than genocide or other war crimes against Palestinians, and more imminent than the actually occurring, live-streamed devastation of Gaza. Cloaked in the language of national security, and hidden behind the black pen of redactions, we are asked to take these claims at face value, despite what we know is happening in Gaza. In addition to the F-35 loophole, a new report by the Palestinian Youth Movement, Workers for a Free Palestine and Progressive International - relying on data from the Israel Tax Authority - suggests that the UK might have continued directly shipping F-35 parts to Israel even after the suspension. MP Zarah Sultana and 41 of her colleagues, along with a number of other groups, have demanded that Lammy respond to questions raised by the report. The government did not respond to the letter, and was challenged in Parliament about this failure. Contorted justifications Furthermore, the latest UK government licensing data shows that licences worth £127.6 million ($172m) were granted to Israel between October and December 2024, the months following the suspension. That's more licences than in 2020-23 combined. The equipment licensed is mostly military radars, components, software and targeting equipment, prompting the parliamentary business and trade committee to ask government ministers for oral evidence in an effort to understand how they can be certain this equipment isn't being used in Gaza. Ignore Starmer's theatrics. Gaza's trail of blood leads straight to his door Read More » As all of this has been going on, the UK government has been in court on a case brought by the Palestinian human rights organisation Al-Haq and the Global Legal Action Network. They have spent the past year and a half fighting the government over its arms export policy, and more recently over its decision to exempt F-35 parts from the licensing suspension. The government's main strategy has been to claim the court. If the judges accept this, it will be a death knell for arms export control policy. If the courts cannot assess whether the government implemented its own legally binding policy properly, what is the point of having controls? The UK government's position is growing increasingly untenable, and seems more brittle by the day. Its suspension of trade talks with Israel is a paltry response to what it calls an intolerable situation. Just hours after Lammy's statement, another RAF surveillance plane took off towards Gaza to provide intelligence to Israel; and days later, UK trade envoy Lord Austin visited Israel to, in his words, 'drum up business for Britain'. The mismatch between government practice and Lammy's confected outrage speaks volumes. Meanwhile, the government is using counter-terrorism legislation to punish Palestine activists, prompting UN experts to criticise its heavy-handedness. Ongoing public and parliamentary opposition to Israel's actions in Gaza is forcing the government into ever-more contorted justifications to avoid the one thing that would materially force Israel to reconsider its practices: suspending all arms transfers to and from Israel, and halting all military cooperation. This would have a swift and concrete effect on Israel's ability to carry out its assault on Palestinians and its occupation of Palestinian land. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
Daily Mirror
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Russia sends horror WW3 threat to UK - 'British blood must be spilled'
The Kremlin's propaganda machine has accused British security services of providing explosives used in a series of high-profile assassinations - and warned that 'British blood must be spilled' The propaganda wing of Vladimir Putin has hurled accusations at Britain, alleging that UK-supplied explosives were used in a spate of high-profile assassinations within Russia and issuing a dire warning that "British blood must be spilled" as recompense. The accusation was broadcasted on state-managed Russian TV, where Kremlin spokespersons pointed the finger squarely at British security services for orchestrating the deaths of top military officials, including a pair of generals. Even as they failed to present any proof, they delivered a hair-raising threat of vengeance aimed at the UK. The TV program turned its attention to the recent slaying of Major-General Yaroslav Moskalik, 59, who met his end via an explosion of a Volkswagen Golf while he was passing by it close to his residence in Moscow. General Moskalik, who was instrumental in military planning and is said to have routinely briefed Putin on activities in Crimea, was highlighted. This very programme made a nod to the demise of Lieutenant-General Igor Kirillov, 54 – a notable figure in chemical and biological warfare eradicated through a bombing last December – as well as Yevgeny Rytikov, 34, a connoisseur of electronic warfare, whose life ended in Bryansk earlier this month. Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, seemed to own up to his nation's hand in these incidents, divulging earlier in the week that his intelligence chief kept him in the loop "on the liquidation of individuals from the top command of the Russian armed forces", reports the Express. He expressed his gratitude with the terse remark: "Thank you for your work." On state channel Russia-1, vocal Putin supporter Vladimir Solovyov pointed the finger at Britain for supplying the explosives used in recent attacks. In conversation with munitions expert Andrei Klintsevich, Solovyov raised the provocative question: where did the material originate from? Without any evidence, Mr Klintsevich made a bold assertion: "It is all British, imported by the ton. We do realise that someone is creating a network of planted explosives, and transporting these explosives." Solovyov further speculated: "So someone had to smuggle it across Europe, removing it from warehouses." He then lashed out with an alarming statement claiming that "When we say that British security services are behind every terrorist attack, it means that the blood of the British who authorise the killings on Russian territory must be spilled." In an enraged outburst, he warned: "They must realise that they will pay personally. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." Ex-Russian senator Mr Klintsevich insisted that tracing explosive batch origins was plausible. According to him: "All explosives have certain types of labelling. Each time a batch is made... it is possible to understand where it came from. I'm sure our intelligence services have long understood the source down to the factory and the year of manufacture." Solovyov ended the programme with a menacing hint of retribution targeting British intelligence agents. He warned: "If these factories blow up – as well as the headquarters of the intelligence agencies that gave the go-ahead for the terrorist attacks – they should not be surprised." The UK Government has yet to make an official statement on the matter. But in a significant move, Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced sanctions in October 2024 against three Russian agencies and three high-ranking individuals engaged in disinformation campaigns to destabilise Ukrainian democracy. Lammy condemned Putin's actions, saying: "Putin is so desperate to undermine European support for Ukraine he is now resorting to clumsy, ineffective efforts to try and stoke unrest," and declared the UK's firm stance against such deceitful interference. Speaking at the UN General Assembly Committee on Information in May 2022, Ambassador James Roscoe criticised Russia for its hostile information campaigns targeting Ukrainian sovereignty and obscuring the truth, cautioning that these disinformation tactics risk eroding public faith in both the media and global institutions.
Russia Today
23-03-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Ukrainians fear losing homes and jobs in UK
Thousands of Ukrainian migrants are at risk of losing their jobs and housing in the UK amid uncertainties over visa renewals, The Telegraph reported on Friday, citing a new survey by the University of Birmingham. Around 270,000 Ukrainian citizens currently live in the UK under special schemes such as 'Homes for Ukraine', which offered three-year visas to those fleeing the conflict with Russia. This scheme, however, has been closed to new applicants, and existing visas are now beginning to expire. While a new 'Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme' allows 18-month visa renewals, applications were not accepted until February 4, creating a backlog and leaving many in legal limbo. According to a survey of over 1,100 Ukrainian migrants, 41% said they have lost job opportunities, and 22% have been denied contract renewals due to their uncertain immigration status. Around 26% said they could not renew their rental agreements, while a quarter were unable to sign new leases. Respondents also reported increased mental stress, with 43.5% citing anxiety and panic attacks related to their immigration status. More than half of the Ukrainian refugees surveyed said they have school-aged children, which adds to concerns over long-term stability. READ MORE: UK proposes sending troops to Ukraine The researchers behind the study have urged the UK government to automatically extend visas for Ukrainians, but Labour MP Emily Thornberry, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee, said the findings reflect systemic issues, with most migrants with temporary visas facing similar problems. Commenting on the report, a government spokesman said the UK remains 'fully committed' to supporting Ukrainian migrants and continues to review its visa programs. He did not comment on whether the process would be streamlined or made automatic, however. The news comes as many other countries in Europe face challenges dealing with the influx of Ukrainian migrants. According to Eurostat, more than 4.3 million Ukrainians are registered for temporary protection across the EU. While Brussels insists that support must continue and has recently extended its visa scheme for Ukrainians until March 2026, many member states have signaled reluctance to continue the same level of support. READ MORE: Ukraine accused of 'wasting' UK-supplied weapons – Telegraph Germany, which hosts over 1.2 million Ukrainian refugees, has debated cutting welfare benefits, citing sustainability concerns. Poland has expressed opposition to taking in more migrants under the EU's new migration pact, while the Czech Republic has announced plans to end preferential treatment for Ukrainian asylum seekers.
