UK walks tightrope with hardened stance on Israel

The backlash to Britain's suspension of some arms exports to Israel shows the fine line the Labour government has to tread in its relations with its Middle Eastern ally.

While suggesting it will be tougher towards Israel than Conservative predecessors, the suspension also highlights Labour's difficulty in pleasing both Jewish groups with which it has worked hard to repair relations and its left-wing, largely pro-Palestinian base.

The reaction to Monday's announcement indicates the size of that task: Britain's Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said the decision "beggars belief" but human rights groups said it failed to go far enough.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy told parliament that the UK would suspend 30 out of 350 arms exports licences, citing a "clear risk" that they could be used in a serious breach of international humanitarian law.

He said the partial ban covered items "which could be used in the current conflict in Gaza", including fighter aircraft, helicopters and drones but does not include parts for Israel's advanced F-35 stealth fighter jets.

Lammy announced a review into Israel's conduct of its war against Hamas militants shortly after centre-left Labour swept to power in a landslide general election victory over the Conservatives in early July.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour government has largely followed the same approach to the Israel-Hamas war as the Tories, repeatedly calling for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages and the speeding up of aid deliveries into Gaza.

But some notable differences have emerged.

The arms announcement followed decisions in July to resume funding for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) and drop a legal challenge over international arrest warrants for senior Israeli figures.

And last week the UK foreign ministry said it was "deeply" concerned by an Israeli military operation in the occupied West Bank, urging it to "exercise restraint" and adhere to international law.

"It's a change of tone most certainly," politics professor Steven Fielding told AFP.

"But I would say it's more a government which is trying to negotiate a very tricky path in terms of Britain's relations with Israel while also not giving it a free pass to do whatever it wants."

On July 19, Lammy announced that the UK was lifting a funding suspension for UNRWA.

The pause had been imposed in January over Israeli claims that some UNRWA staff were involved in Hamas's October 7 attack that resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.

- 'Government of lawyers' -

Israel's military response against Hamas has so far killed at least 40,819 people in Gaza, according to the territory's health ministry. The UN rights office says most of the dead are women and children.

On July 26, Downing Street confirmed it was dropping the previous government's legal challenge to arrest warrants sought by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others over alleged war crimes.

If granted, Britain as an ICC member state would technically be obliged to arrest Netanyahu and the others if they travelled to the UK.

Fielding says legal concerns are largely driving the Labour government's approach rather than a desire to be pro-Palestinian or pro-Israel.

"This is a government of lawyers more than most," he said, referring to both Harvard Law School graduate Lammy and Starmer, a former human rights lawyer and chief state prosecutor.

"It is a government that was elected to say it wanted to do politics properly, and that does mean following legal advice," added Fielding, of the University of Nottingham.

The left-leaning New Statesman magazine agreed, declaring in its morning newsletter Tuesday that Lammy was "determined to be a champion of international law".

"This, in short, is not a government that is likely to leave itself legally exposed," the magazine wrote.

Domestic political concerns are never far away though.

Starmer has been credited with rebuilding trust with Jewish communities and rooting out anti-Semitism in the party since taking over as Labour leader from left-winger Jeremy Corbyn in 2020.

But Labour's support for Israel's offensive hit its vote share at the election and led to several independents winning seats on a pro-Palestinian ticket at Labour's expense.

"It's advantageous that the (arms exports) decision also means that at least the party can present a more positive face to those with concerns about what Israel's doing," said Fielding.