THE Palestinian ambassador to the UK has expressed concerns over the UK Government’s new plans to prioritise UK-based defence firms for investment.
On Monday, Defence Secretary John Healey launched the Government’s Defence Industrial Strategy, with a view towards growing the UK’s defence sector.
Speaking at a London Defence Conference event with investors in London, Healey set an ambition to increase defence sector jobs in “every nation and region of the UK”.
He also claimed that a strong defence industry could help provide “the foundation for a decade of national renewal” as global threats increase and also appointed a fully-fledged national armaments director.
Several of the firms set to benefit from the strategy include those who have helped supply weapons to Israel amid its war on Gaza – including BAE Systems and Babcock International.
Now Husam Zomlot, when asked about the new strategy, told The National that while the UK investing in arms firms is a UK matter, investing in companies that then end up providing arms to Israel “needs to be stopped immediately” in light of the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) ruling in July.
The ICJ ruled in May that a genocide was “plausibly” being committed by Israel in Gaza, followed by a separate ruling in July that declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories unlawful.
“All third parties, including the UK, must immediately cease to provide any political, legal or material support to Israel's illegal practices – not just in Gaza, but the West Bank including Jerusalem,” he said.
“The legal background, the legal reference is very clear and, therefore, this is a matter of adhering to international ruling and international legality. And adhering to the UK domestic law and domestic obligations.”
Zomlot added: “UK arms dealing is its own business except when it comes to human rights violations, when it comes to international legality.”
The Palestinian ambassador added that he is discussing the plans with the UK Government.
He said: “We want to make sure that nothing will end up being used in the illegal, unlawful, criminal oppression of the Palestinian people.”
Labour earlier this year announced a partial ban on arms sales to Israel – with the major exemption of parts for F-35 fighter jets which are used in a US-led scheme, and have then been used to bomb Gaza.
“We told [the UK Government] and we keep telling them, that we will continue working to change that,” Zomlot said.
“You cannot sub-divide law. You cannot have a half commitment to law. Either you are committed to the legality or you're not. When it comes to legal matters, you cannot be selective. You cannot pick and choose.”
He added: "Nothing should be made available to Israel in its war of genocide, in its aggression of ethnic cleansing and collective punishment.
“That includes, of course, the F-35s. And there are ways to exclude countries that are involved in gross violations of human rights.
“The idea that that this is a global scheme under the US and the UK cannot stop it is absolutely unconvincing and very dangerous.”
