Following the collapse of the ceasefire in Gaza, Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) has called on the government to revoke all current military licences to Israel. Israeli air strikes in the last 24 hours are reported to have killed three Palestinians and injured many more.
On 12th August the UK government announced its outrageously weak response to its own review of licensed exports to Israel.
The review was overseen by Vince Cable MP and the Department of Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) and identified 12 licences for components that could be part of equipment used by the Israel Defence Forces in Gaza. However, BIS decided that it would not even suspend these licences unless significant hostilities
resumed.
Andrew Smith from CAAT, said:
The government’s response to date has been extremely weak. Vince Cable himself identified 12 licences which he said would be suspended if the violence continued. The violence has continued and now he has to follow through on his word and make sure that these licences are suspended immediately.
The truth is that these weapons should never have been sold in the first place. That’s why we don’t want to see just a few short term suspensions, we want to see these licences revoked and an embargo on future arms sales to Israel and other war zones around the world.
On 17th August Leigh Day, representing CAAT, wrote to Vince Cable stating that the failure by the UK government to even suspend existing licences for the export of arms to Israel is unlawful as there is a risk these arms may be used in Gaza.
ENDS
For further information please contact Andrew at media(at)caat·org·uk or call 020 7281 0297.
