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Arms embargoes on Israel

Since 7 October several countries such as Italy, Japan, Spain, Canada, the Netherlands and Belgium have stopped selling weapons to Israel. Key US allies such as Britain and France are debating it. However the United States and Germany as the major suppliers of Israel's arms imports continue to supply lethal weapons despite growing criticism of the mounting civilian casualties.

Campaign groups and some Western politicians insist that arms sales to Israel must stop because civilian lives have been lost during the Israeli-Hamas war, due to alleged Israeli atrocities and the humanitarian condition in Gaza strip.

Background

Israel is being pressured by the international legal community for its war against Hamas in Gaza, due to the dire humanitarian consequences that civilians face, and that the offensive's conduct could become genocidal, according to allegations. Israel’s prime minister would face arrest warrants for war crimes charges after the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court announced it a few days earlier. Israel was ordered by the ICJ in late January to take interim measures to prevent acts of genocide and to enable more aid to reach the Gaza Strip. But, the world court's interim orders have again been ignored by the Israeli government. An advisory opinion was issued by the highest court of the UN on 19 July. The statement made was that Israel is not allowed to occupy the Gaza Strip and West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and it is unlawful. "The Court has finally reaffirmed a principle that seemed unclear, even to the United Nations: Freedom from foreign military occupation, racial segregation and apartheid is absolutely non-negotiable," The experts stated. Soldiers involved in suspected war crimes have been actively supported by extremists, such as Itamar Ben-Gvir, the national security minister. in this sure-fire way, even close allies can be encouraged to question their continued military cooperation with Israel.

Israel is a major exporter of weapons, but its military has been heavily reliant on imported aircraft, guided bombs, and missiles to execute an aerial campaign that is considered one of the most intense and damaging in recent history by experts. The U.S. is a major arms supplier to its closest Middle Eastern ally, and Germany is second. The bulk of Israel's defense needs have been supplied by the United States, Including bombs that weigh 2000 pounds and can blow up bunkers. An additional $14 billion in military aid package for Israel was approved by the US Congress this year.

The pressure on Israel's allies to cease arms deliveries has reached a critical level, following the attack on a World Central Kitchen convoy in Gaza last week that resulted in the death of seven aid workers.

Israel has been supplied with most of its defense equipment, including 2000-pound bunker buster bombs by the United States. Josep Borrell, the European Union's foreign policy leader, gave his opinion on US President Joe Biden's description that Israel's response to the October 7 Hamas attacks was "over the top". "Well, if you believe that too many people are being killed, maybe you should provide less arms in order to prevent so many people being killed," said Borrell. Imported weapons from Germany make up 28 percent of Israel's military imports. In 2023, Germany's military exports were almost ten times higher than in 2022 after it extended sales to Israel in November December 2023 was when Human Rights Watch made its report that since 2015, the United Kingdom has given Israel military export licenses worth at least 474 million pounds ($594m). The exports were comprised of aircraft, missiles, tanks, technology, and ammunition, including parts for the F-35 stealth bomber that was used in Gaza.

The UK contributes only a small percentage of Israel's total arms purchases, with data showing that 69 percent come from US firms, 30% from Germany and 0.9% from Italy. According to the data, US firms account for 69 percent, followed by Germany with 30% and Italy with just 0.9%. Defense imports from other countries make up 0.1% of the country's total. At least dozens of US officials have resigned over the past few months in protest of Washington's war policies.

Arms embargoes

According to the ICJ's interim ruling on South Africa's genocide case against Israel on January 26, Israel is committing genocide in Gaza in a 'plausible' manner and ordered it to take all necessary actions to prevent acts that may constitute genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. This has prompted humanitarian organizations worldwide to press their governments to halt the sale of arms and military aid. Canada, the Netherlands, Japan, Spain, and Belgium have all stated their intention to stop shipping weapons to Israel. Israel's brutal military offensive in Gaza has led Canada to suspend arms sales, as does the Netherlands, Japan, Spain, and Belgium. A number of other nations have stated that they will stop buying Israeli weapons. Despite the enormous human toll and the imminent famine, several Western countries have continued to provide Israel with lethal weapons.

UK

When Britain's Labor Party took power after the country's July 4 election, it pledged to change Britain's stance on Israel's ongoing war in Gaza. However it has not yet fully committed to suspending arms sales to Israel. When asked by a Green Party lawmaker if he would take action to stop all UK arms exports to Israel, the country’s new foreign secretary David Lammy, replied in the negative, highlighting the necessity for Israel to be able to acquire defensive weapons. A diplomat from the Foreign Office recently resigned due to the inaction and warned that the country could be involved in war crimes. The move, according to a July poll by YouGov, reflects wider public sentiment in the UK, where around 58% of Britons support ending arms sales to Israel during the Gaza war, compared to just 18% that are against it. An even higher proportion (78 percent) support an immediate ceasefire. An arms embargo that meets the needs of anti-Israel campaigners, including some in Lammy's Labour party, could face complications due to Britain's position as a key manufacturer of parts for the F-35 fighter jets are utilized by both Israel and British air forces. Israel has been accused of using its F-35 in unfavorable bombing raids on Gaza by critics. According to The Times, Britain is the tier-one partner for the US-made fighter program and makes 15% of the jet's parts. The UK announced in early September 2024 that it would suspend 30 of its 350 arms export licenses with Israel because of the risk that such equipment could be used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law.

Israel's refusal to allow visits by the International Committee of the Red Cross to the Sde Teiman detention camp, where Palestinian prisoners are detained, is partly responsible for Britain's increased readiness to impose an export ban. Lawyers representing the UK government went to Israel recently to emphasize Britain's position that It is against the Geneva conventions to deny access to the Red Cross. According to Yediot Ahronoth, Israel received a warning from former foreign minister David Cameron that if access is denied repeatedly, Europe may impose an arms embargo. The lack of cooperation from Israel in allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza caused Cameron to become increasingly frustrated.

Canada

Due to the military campaign in Gaza, Canada halted arms sales to Israel in March, Following a vote in the Canadian House of Commons that made reference to the ICJ's ruling. Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly revealed on Tuesday that all arms shipments to Israel will be stopped. The pledge does not pertain to military export permits that were authorized before January 8th.

Australia

The foreign affairs minister of Australia has stated that the country has not given weapons to Israel since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. However, The defence spokesman for the Australian Greens party, David Shoebridge, has requested that the government be more transparent about the specific items that were exported to Israel, Adding that the country has a system for exporting weapons that is one of the most secretive in the world. Amnesty International has urged Australia to halt the sale of arms to Israel and asserts that the country has granted approval for 322 defense exports to Israel over the past six years.

Netherlands

This year, Netherlands also have put an end to arms shipments to Israel, because of the fear that they may be used in ways that violate international humanitarian law - resulting in the deaths of civilians and the destruction of residential areas - in Gaza. In February 2024, a Dutch court imposed a ban on the Netherlands government from delivering parts for the F-35 fighter aircraft to Israel.

Belgium

In February 2024 and following the ICJ ruling, the local government of Belgium's Wallonia region reported suspending licenses for exporting munitions to Israel.

Japan

Following Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip Japan has suspended arms sales to Israel. Japanese company Itochu Corporation announced in February 2024 that it will end its partnership with Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems by the end of February.

Denmark

Denmark is currently dealing with a court case that may result in the government suspending the export of F-35 fighter jet parts to the US, because Israel is the destination for the finished jets.

Petitions to impose arms embargoes

United Nations Human Rights Council

A resolution has been adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council to hold Israel accountable for possible war crimes and Humanitarian crimes committed in the Gaza Strip, and requesting a ban on all arms sales to the country. Friday's vote is notable for being the first time the UN's top human rights body has taken a stand on the war that has been going on for nearly six months, drawing attention to the warnings about 'genocide' occurring during the conflict. The resolution was passed with the support of 28 of the 47 member states of the council. Among the six countries that opposed it were the United States and Germany that supply 99 percent of weapons imported to Israel. France, Albania, and 11 other countries declined to participate.

Francesca Albanese

Francesca Albanese, an expert in the United Nations, whose job is to represent international human rights concerns in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territory, gave a speech to the UN rights body in Geneva, delivering information on a report named 'The Anatomy of Genocide'. She held the view that Israel's military campaign in Gaza since October 7th was equivalent to genocide urged nations to immediately enforce sanctions and an arms embargo to prevent further violations of international humanitarian law and violations and abuses of human rights". Israel rejected the findings and condemned the resolution as "a stain for the Human Rights Council and for the UN as a whole". Albanese is one of the dozens of independent human rights experts who are obligated by the United Nations to report and advice on certain themes and crises.

Independent UN human rights experts

A group of 38 independent UN human rights experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, said on Tuesday that UN member states should comply with the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) recent "landmark ruling" on Israel's presence in the occupied Palestinian territories. They urged action to be taken, consisting of an arms embargo and targeted sanctions, along with investigations and prosecutions against those implicated in crimes in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Specifically, individuals who are dual citizens and serve in the Israeli military or are involved in settler violence.

French demonstrators

A demonstration supporting Palestine took place in France on February 7th, which called for French companies, including Dassault Aviation, to stop selling arms to Israel. The Anadolu news agency reported that demonstrators stated that "all French companies that sell arms to the Tel Aviv administration are complicit in Israel’s genocide in Gaza".

UK Campaigners

British Campaigners have sent letters to the directors of 20 arms manufacturers located in the UK, stating that failing to stop war could result in criminal liability should their companies continue to sell military equipment to Israel. Four groups, including CAAT (Campaign Against Arms Trade), have sent letters to directors of arms companies that provided parts or components for the F-35 fighter jets employed by Israel's air force during the bombardment of Gaza. GLAN, which has also brought a legal challenge against the government decision to continue arms exports to Israel, War on Want, and the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians are among the three groups behind the letter. According to the letter, the company directors could potentially be held responsible for atrocity crimes happening in Gaza, despite the fact that the UK government has continued to authorize arms sales to Israel since the beginning of the war with Hamas. It refers to a section of the 2001 International Criminal Court Act that specifies that it is an offense against English and Welsh law to take part in 'conduct ancillary' to commit a war crime or a crime against humanity in foreign countries.

British lawyers, academics, and retired judges

The continued supply in Britain is a violation of international law, as written by over 600 lawyers, academics, and retired judges in Britain. But David Cameron, the foreign secretary, stated in a statement on Tuesday that the UK will continue to export arms to Israel.

British government lawyers

Leaked comments made by a Former official in the Foreign Office and Ministry of Defense, led government lawyers in Britain to advise that Israel has breached international law therefore; the UK must discontinue all arms sales to Israel without delay. In a letter addressed to the Foreign Secretary David Cameron and Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch, at least 130 UK lawmakers demanded that the British government suspend arms sales to Israel last week.

Since Israel killed seven aid workers, including three British nationals, those calls have become more fervent, with three former Supreme Court justices joining more than 600 members of the British legal profession in signing a 17-page letter this week that pointed out that the UK is violating international law by keeping Israel armed.

Former UK Supreme Court judges

Three retired UK Supreme Court judges have advocated for the government to impose an arms embargo on Israel. Over 600 legal professionals say London is obligated to halt weapons sales, review trade deals, and sanction Israelis who incite against Palestinians. A letter was written by three former British Supreme Court justices, one of whom is a former president of the court, to the UK government asserting that an arms embargo on Israel is mandated by international law because of what they described as serious violations of International Humanitarian Law in the midst of its ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza.

Nine former judges, as well as three justices and approximately 600 other senior legal professionals

Nine former judges, as well as three justices and approximately 600 other senior legal professionals and academics, Furthermore, asserted that the British government was obligated to review the current trade agreement between the UK and Israel, Suspend the 2030 Road Map for bilateral relations between the UK and Israel and impose sanctions on Israeli officials “who have made statements inciting genocide against Palestinians.” The signatories included Baroness Hale of Richmond, who was the former president of the Supreme Court, In addition to Lord Jonathan Sumption and Lord Nicholas Wilson, who were former Supreme Court justices. The former judges, kings counsels, barristers, legal academics, and solicitors released a letter on Wednesday asserting that the UK is legally obligated to take action against Israel, based on the January ruling by the International Court of Justice that Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in Gaza falls under the scope of the Genocide Convention. In their letter this week, the British legal professionals stated that the Genocide is now relevant because of the ICJ's “order for provisional measures”. The British legal professionals wrote in their letter this week that the ICJ’s “order for provisional measures” makes the relevancy of the Genocide Convention to the ongoing war in Gaza clear, Noting that the UK is obligated under the convention to “prevent and punish genocide.”

It also references the comments of numerous UN agencies and officials regarding the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza including famine warnings by the World Bank, the US Agency for International Development, and the UN secretary-general.

“The provision of military assistance and material to Israel may render the UK complicit in genocide as well as serious breaches of IHL,” write the former judges and legal professionals.

US medics

Dozens of US doctors and nurses employed in Gaza have sent a letter to Joe Biden claiming that the real death toll from Israel's month-long assault is greater than the previous record, asking the US to stop providing diplomatic and military aid to Israel until there is a ceasefire. On Thursday, a letter that was eight pages in length was sent to Biden, the first lady, Jill Biden, and Kamala Harris, the vice-president, said The medics observed evidence of a wide range of violations of US weapons laws and international humanitarian law. “We cannot forget the scenes of unbearable cruelty directed at women and children that we witnessed ourselves,” they wrote. Many of the signatories had previously informed the Guardian that they believed Israeli snipers were targeting kids also The impact of shrapnel-spraynel weapons on civilians was reported to be devastating

According to the medics, who worked with the World Health Organization and other relief groups, the actual death toll is significantly higher than the Palestinian Ministry of Health's casualty figure of more than 39,000 people killed, with the majority of them being women and children. The Bidens were directly appealed to by the medics. “President and Dr Biden, we wish you could see the nightmares that plague so many of us since we have returned: dreams of children maimed and mutilated by our weapons, and their inconsolable mothers begging us to save them,” they said.

“We wish you could hear the cries and screams our consciences will not let us forget. We cannot believe that anyone would continue arming the country that is deliberately killing these children after seeing what we have seen.”

British people

According to a new survey, more than 70% of British people support an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as the government is under pressure to take a stronger stance against Israel. According to the poll, 55 percent of people favor ending arms sales to Israel for the duration of the war, while 13 percent expressed their desire for a continuation. In terms of politics, 40% of Conservative voters support the UK's decision to discontinue the sale of weapons, whereas only 24% are against it. 74 percent of Labour Party voters support the UK halting deals, while only 7 percent oppose the call.

Jewish Voice for Peace

The coordinated protest on Tuesday, organized by Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), caught Congressional staffers and law enforcement agents off guard by the quickness of the event. The demonstration on Capitol Hill takes place on a day prior to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to Congress on the invitation of senior legislators from both major parties. Protesters are gathering in a sea of red T-shirts with the slogan "Not in our name: Jews say stop to arming Israel" as they are seen between the archways of the Cannon Building. Progressive Jewish organizations have been holding protests across the country, including one similar to the one held on Capitol Hill in October last year, also rallies that take place on roads, inside train stations, and at political offices.

200 MPs from 12 countries

In response to mounting international pressure on Tel Aviv's actions in Gaza, over 200 MPs from 12 countries signed a joint call for an arms embargo on Israel earlier this month. In their letter, the politicians stated that “an arms embargo has moved beyond a moral necessity to become a legal requirement”. “Providing arms to Israel despite the mounting evidence of grave abuses documented on the ground can make those states complicit in war crimes,” said Omar Shakir, the director of Israel and Palestine at Human Rights Watch, who investigates human rights abuses in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza. The UN investigator recommended that member states use sanctions and arms embargoes to make the Israeli leadership change their approach.

Uncommitted Movement

A US Vice President Kamala Harris aide denied a claim yesterday that she had agreed to talk about imposing an arms embargo on Israel during a conversation with pro-Palestinian activists who are advocating for changes to US policy towards its ally during the Gaza war. Harris has made an effort to portray herself as sympathetic to the plight of civilians in Gaza, where Israel's campaign has caused the death of nearly 40,000 people, and been accused of abuses such as torture by rights groups. "The images of dead children and desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety — sometimes displaced for the second, third or fourth time — we cannot look away in the face of these tragedies,” Harris made the statement following a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering, and I will not be silent." the Uncommitted Movement, that established to oppose President Joe Biden's unwavering commitment to Israel's war, stated responding to Gordon that "We found hope in Vice President Harris expressing an openness to meeting about an arms embargo, and we are eager to continue engaging because people we love are being killed with American bombs," the statement adds.

Reactions

Weapon sales and military aid are deemed to be complicit in genocide and in violation of international law, according to advocates. Israel’s foreign minister Israel Katz responded that “History will judge Canada’s current action harshly.” Israel Katz, the foreign minister of Israel, stated that ‘History will judge Canada’s current action harshly ' However, the Netanyahu government has limited options available to counter such an embargo and would be well-advised to exercise caution: Israel is becoming more isolated during a time of growing peril for the country, and Britain is still a close ally in Europe.

Critics state with conviction that Section 502 (B) of the US Foreign Assistance Act prohibits aid to governments responsible for gross human rights violations. The act permits Congress to request information about the country's practices – Along with the ability to terminate security assistance based on information received. However, the law has never been enforced, said Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of Democracy For the Arab World Now (Dawn), because it depends on a determination by the president.

Similarly, the Leahy Act - sponsored by former Democratic senator for Vermont Patrick Leahy - contains similar provisions the state department or the Pentagon are prohibited from providing funding to foreign units that have committed, according to “credible information”, human rights violations. But while this rule has been applied to many US allies, it has never been applied to Israel, in part because the magnitude of the military aid sent makes it impossible to check.