Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) has released an interactive map of all the locations across the UK where F35 components are made. CAAT estimates the value of the components UK industry supplies for Israeli F35s to be worth at least £336m since 2016.
The map will enable campaigners across the country to find out where the components are produced, and to protest the companies who are profiting from the genocide Israel is committing in Gaza on their doorsteps.
Foreign Secretary David Cameron recommended continuing arms sales to Israel on 12th December 2023, despite previous Foreign Office assessments stating there were “serious concerns” about breaches of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and Israel’s commitment and ability to comply with IHL. Cameron further accepted that Israel has a different interpretation of its IHL obligations.
The ICJ ruling on 26th January, which stated that there is a ‘plausible’ case that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, and imposed provisional measures on Israel to prevent genocide, has led to increased calls on the UK government to stop arms exports to Israel. The UK has a legal obligation to stop arms exports if there is a clear risk they could be used in violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), and under the Genocide Convention which places obligations on states to take action to prevent and punish genocide.
CAAT’s Media Coordinator, Emily Apple, said:
“This is a great resource for campaigners across the country. People do not want genocide profiteers on their doorstep, and this map will enable communities to take action against the companies that are complicit in war crimes in their local area.
“However, this isn’t something we should have to do. The legal position is clear. Israel is committing war crimes, including bombing hospitals and refugee camps and deliberately targeting medical workers. This government should immediately suspend arms exports to Israel. Instead it is prioritising the profits of arms dealers over Palestinian lives, and it is down to ordinary people to hold these companies to account for their murderous deals.”
Notes for Editors:
- For more information on UK arms supplies to Israel, the Israeli arms industry, and Israel’s ongoing occupation and repression of the Palestinians, see our main Israel country page.
- Explore details of other export licences (apart from the F-35 components) issued by the current government for arms sales to Israel, since 2015, from our UK export licences browser.
- Find more information about some of the companies listed on the map on our Companies Browser.
- The UK-made components for the F-35, as shown by the map on this page, are mostly not included in the export licences reported in the export licences browser. Exports of UK equipment for the F-35, whether to the US which makes the complete planes, or to other partner or customer countries (including Israel), are covered by an Open General Export Licence (OGEL), which allows companies registered for the licence to export unlimited quantities of equipment to the relevant countries, so long as it is for the F-35, without need for individual licences. The map displays all companies in the UK that are registered for this OGEL.
- Information about the assessments made by the Foreign Office and Cameron’s recommendation to continue selling arms can be found here – CAAT – Revealed: David Cameron advised continuing arms exports to Israel, accepting Israel has a different interpretation of its International Humanitarian Law obligations
- The Foreign Office Assessment Unit’s comments on speeches made by Israeli political and military leaders is at point 35 here 26e1a5_14f16c2640e24bc99211ee41243e9c45.pdf (glanlaw.org)
- ICJ ruling can be found here – The Court indicates provisional measures (icj-cij.org)
