Starmer is right to restrict UK arms sales to Israel

Last Monday, the UK announced it was suspending 8.5 per cent of the UK's arms licences for sales to Israel.

- LORD CARLILE

The other 91.5 per cent remain. This was a decision reached after receiving and absorbing detailed legal advice. It does not affect UK-made parts for Israel's F15 fighter jets. I have been concerned by the overreaction of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu; and dismayed by the comments of some senior British parliamentarians, such as Kemi Badenoch MP, a few lawyers and others (including the Chief Rabbi) to the decision.

The way in which some expressed their views, notably a wildly disproportionate newspaper article by Boris Johnson, suggested they believed that there was no empirical or proper legal foundation for the decision taken. The legal advice relied upon by Sir Keir Starmer and David Lammy has long been known to senior UK ministers. Lord Cameron as foreign secretary is said by officials to have known about the advice since February.

A Foreign Office source told The Guardian that wider lessons need to be drawn from the unsatisfactory internal handling of the issue. Sitting on clear legal advice for more than a very short time cannot be justified. Starmer has shown courage and conviction in deciding that the right thing must be done – however difficult it is.