UK’s F-35 exports more important than stopping genocide, lawyers to argue

The UK has acknowledged the UK supply of F-35 components for potential use in Israel is in breach of its own arms export control laws. Photograph: Axel Schmidt/Reuters

Preserving the British role in the F-35 jet fighter programme takes precedence over the need to comply with UK laws on arms export controls, or any UK obligation to prevent a genocide in Israel, UK government lawyers will argue in court this week.

The long-awaited high court case will test whether ministers have broken the law by continuing to supply parts for the F-35 programme that may be used by Israel to attack Palestinians in Gaza. The four-day case starts on Tuesday and has taken nearly a year to come to court.