LONDON: Former UK Foreign Minister David Cameron was aware that Britain risked complicity in Israeli breaches of international law but refused to suspend weapons transfers to the country, The Guardian reported.
Cameron, who served as foreign minister in the previous Conservative government, was advised by Foreign Office officials in Israel and London that Tel Aviv was in clear breach of international humanitarian law, a former Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office adviser said.
It follows news that the UK’s new Labour government this week banned 30 of about 350 arms export licenses to Israel.
The government made the decision based on a memorandum released on Monday warning that British arms may have been used by Israel to breach international law.
But the FCDO source told The Guardian that the same advice was given to the previous government as early as February.
“The tragedy has to be considered: How many lives might have been saved if the arms export licenses had been stopped then and not in September, and what the potential ripple effect might have been on how other countries would have reacted in ceasing trade,” they said.
“The advice being sent through to the Foreign Office was clear that the breaches of international humanitarian law by Israel as the occupying power were so obvious that there was a danger of UK complicity if the licenses were not withdrawn.”
The FCDO source added: “Israel highlights vital lessons globally for arms companies and countries which grant export licenses as part of elaborate trade deals.
“The reality is that none of these licenses are granted in isolation of other business and political interests, and are enmeshed with other forms of trade technology exchanges and security equity.”
They said: “Companies also bear a responsibility to respect international humanitarian and criminal law, as do governments.
“Internally, the Foreign Office does not seem very cohesive, with disputes between humanitarian, legal and political teams, as well as with sections of the Ministry of Defence.”
A member of the previous Conservative government told The Guardian that though the legal advice it received was “in some respects similar” to that published by Labour, it never “said explicitly” that ministers must suspend arms sales.
