Jewish peer backs Starmer's stance on arms for Israel

A senior Jewish peer and supporter of Israel in the Lords has backed Sir Keir Starmer’s partial suspension of the UK’s arms deal with Israel and hit out at those who condemned the move.

- DAVID MADDOX

In a major intervention, Lord Carlile has written a devastating critique of the chief rabbi, Boris Johnson and others who attacked the prime minister’s decision after it was announced last week.

In an article for The Independent, the crossbench peer – who was the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation between 2001 and 2011 – describes how the Labour leader’s decision showed “courage and conviction... however difficult it is”.

Supporting Sir Keir’s decision to suspend 30 of the 350 arms exports licences to Israel, he bitterly lashes out at Benjamin Netanyahu for undermining attempts at reaching a peaceful solution.

Lord Carlile, who sits on the all-party committee for Israel, is also scathing about the previous government’s handling of the same legal advice used to justify the decision.

He has claimed that former foreign secretary Lord Cameron received the same legal advice as that acted upon by foreign secretary David Lammy last week but chose not to act on it.

He said: “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.”