Britain must take a stand against Israel's war conduct

THREE former Supreme Court judges and 597 other lawyers have written to the Prime Minister to ask him to act against Israel by cutting arms sales.

- Melanie McDonagh

Britain is a signatory to the Genocide Convention and is therefore required to do what it can to prevent genocide. But the emotive issue of genocide isn't the main point; it's that Israel's actions in Gaza towards its population are wrong.

The question of whether there is a genocide in Gaza has not yet been decided by the International Court of Justice (though it said there is a "plausible risk"). And lawyers being lawyers, it will be months before they can pronounce decisively on the matter.

But what the court has said is that Israel potentially has a case to answer.

The UK arms sales to Israel are a blip in the great scheme of things, by comparison with the US billions, but it matters as a signal of moral indignation from a country friendly to Israel.