Calls to stop UK arming Israel ‘embolden’ Iran, MPs told
ALAWYER has told MPs that calls for the UK to stop selling arms to Israel “have dangerous consequences” and embolden attacks on Israel from countries like Iran.
During an appearance at Westminster’s Business and Trade Committee, the director of UK Lawyers for Israel, Natasha Hausdorff, claimed that demands for the UK Government to stop selling arms to Israel due to the ongoing killing of civilians in Gaza risked further instability in the region.
She said: “What are the implications of the sorts of calls for suspension of arms? Well, I think there are significant political and diplomatic ramifications.
“And we have seen only two weekends ago an unprecedented, a direct attack by Iran on Israel which many have I think correctly suggested has been as a response to the sort of encouragement that Iran has taken from the rhetoric from the United States.
“It has also in part been coming out of the United Kingdom vis-a-vis the application of international law in Israel’s continued operation in Gaza.
“That has very real consequences for how emboldened Iran has felt.
“The consequences of the sort of uninformed, unfortunately, debate
and calls for suspension of arms despite those criteria having on no account been met have very serious dangerous consequences for the UK as a result also”.
However, Hausdorff was swiftly challenged on her analysis of Iran’s motivations for attacking Israel by former diplomat and national security adviser Lord Ricketts, who was also giving evidence at the committee.
“It seems to me a rather strange argument to make that Iran decided to attack Israel because of arguments made in the US and UK about potential suspension of arms.
“I think a much more likely reason that Iran attacked Israel is because
It seems to me a rather strange argument to make
Israel attacked the Iranian consulate in Damascus and killed 13 people in the Iranian consulate in Damascus.
“If it hadn’t done that then I don’t think Iran would have attacked Israel”.
Hausdorff instantly took issue with Ricketts’ comments and claimed the committee had been told something which was “untrue”.
However, before she could continue committee chair Liam Byrne MP said the committee “was perfectly capable of making judgments about the evidence that we receive”.
UK Lawyers for Israel was set up in 2011 in order to combat “the delegitimisation of Israel” via measures such as boycotts.