Cabinet split emerges over support for Israel

SPLITS in the Cabinet over Gaza were exposed yesterday as the deputy prime minister said Israel is held to a higher standard than other countries.

Oliver Dowden defended the UK’s refusal to suspend arms sales and said some of Israel’s critics relished pushing a case against the country.

But it came just hours after Foreign Secretary David Cameron said Britain’s support for Israel was ‘ not unconditional’, amid continuing concerns over its Gaza campaign.

The deaths of three British aid workers last week reignited a row over arms sales to Israel, and sparked fresh calls for ministers to publish legal advice about whether Israel is violating international humanitarian law.

Six months after the conflict began, Lord Cameron said that while Israel had a right to self- defence, the UK’s backing was ‘not unconditional’ – signalling concern about the way the war is being carried out.

‘We expect such a proud and successful democracy to abide by international humanitarian law, even when challenged in this way,’ he wrote in the Sunday Times.

Mr Dowden said the UK was not giving Israel carte blanche, but also told the BBC: ‘The manner in which some people are seizing on this issue and trying to hold Israel to incredibly high standards – of course it is right that we hold Israel to high standards – but I just think there is a bit of relish from some people about the way in which they are pushing this case against Israel.’

He said he would not go so far as to suggest this was coded antiSemitism, but said people needed to remember the ‘trauma’ Israelis were suffering.

‘Of course Israel has made mistakes, and made big mistakes, and we should hold them to account for that. But we are holding them to a very high standard,’ he added.

Mr Dowden also suggested the UK would stop arms sales to Israel if it was found to be in breach of international law.

A Foreign Office source insisted there was no difference between the statements of Mr Dowden and Lord Cameron, adding: ‘We’re all on the same page.’ Lord Cameron is expected to discuss the war with his American counterpart, Antony Blinken, during a visit to Washington this week. Tory former attorney general Sir Michael Ellis warned an arms embargo on Israel would risk international confidence in the UK as an export partner. He said calling on Britain to stop sales was ‘virtue-signalling’.