Top Tories split over stopping arms sales

SENIOR Tories are increasingly divided on suspending arms sales to Israel following the deaths of three British aid workers.

Alicia Kearns, chairman of the Commons foreign affairs committee, said there was now ‘no choice’ but to suspend arms sales to Israel following the attack.

But Bob Seely, also in the group, said the demands were ‘shallow gesture politics’.

Three Britons were among seven workers from the World Central Kitchen killed in the drone strike by the Israeli Defence Forces in Gaza on Monday night.

Since then, calls have mounted for the UK to stop selling arms to Israel – with ministers also under pressure to publish legal advice about whether Israel is violating international law. Yesterday, Ms Kearns told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘I believe we have no choice but to suspend arms sales and it is important the public understands this isn’t a political decision – as some seem to want to present it as.

‘Legal advice is advisory, so the Government can choose to reject it, but UK arms export licences require a recipient to comply with international humanitarian law.’

But Mr Seely, MP for the Isle of Wight, said on BBC2’s Newsnight: ‘The reality is we supply 0.02 per cent of Israel’s arms imports, a meaninglessly small figure, and actually by blocking it... this is shallow gesture politics and nothing but.’

Meanwhile, former home secretary Suella Braverman has argued Israel is ‘absolutely not’ in breach of international humanitarian law, while party colleague Sir Alan Duncan said she should have the whip withdrawn for her ‘extreme’ views.

Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron insisted Israel would be ‘held to account’ for the drone strike, and told the Mail on Thursday it was not true Rishi Sunak is stopping him taking a tougher line with Israel, adding they were ‘entirely on the same page’.

And civil servants within the Department for Business and Trade involved in arms exports have raised concerns over their degree of liability if Israel is found to be violating international law.

Their union, PCS, said it was considering legal action. Spokesman Paul O’Connor said: ‘The International Court of Justice considers some of the alleged acts by Israel in Gaza could potentially be considered within the provisions of the Genocide Convention. We are seriously considering taking legal action to prevent our members from being forced to carry out unlawful acts.’