Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News
After a review on arms exports to Israel by the British government, the British Foreign Office has announced a partial arms embargo against Israel due to Israeli violations of British-Israeli security agreements. The review involved 182 arms export licenses from Britain to Israel, 5 of which were cancelled due to violations of signed agreements.
The British government said Sunday that Israel had violated signed agreements during its 3-week long invasion of the Gaza Strip beginning in late December and ending January 19th. As a result, the British government will not be re-supplying parts or equipment for the Sa’ar 4.5 gunships it had sold to the Israeli military.
Several British Parliamentarians had called for an arms embargo both during and after the Israeli invasion of Gaza, and the international human rights organization Amnesty International issued a report in February detailing the use of weapons exported by the UK to Israel in Israel’s attack. The report focused on the Hermes 450 drones, supplied by the UK, and the Israeli military’s use of these drones in targeted assassinations in Gaza.
But the decision to cancel 5 of the 182 licenses issued by the UK to Israel did not include any mention of the drones.
In its statement, the British Foreign Ministry said, "Future decisions will take into account what has happened in the recent conflict. We do not grant export licenses where there is a clear risk that arms will be used for external aggression or internal repression." But the statement also added, "We do not believe that the current situation in the Middle East would be improved by imposing an arms embargo on Israel. Israel has the right to defend itself and faces real security threats."
Critics, including the Al Haq human rights organization, which sued the British government based on the February Amnesty International report, say the embargo is a good start, but does not go far enough.
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