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David Lammy shuts down claims US ‘were unhappy’ with arms sale suspension as he urges Israel to take ceasefire deal
4 September 2024, 23:15 | Updated: 5 September 2024, 01:02
Foreign Secretary David Lammy has urged Israel to agree a Gaza ceasefire as he dismissed claims the United States were "unhappy" with his decision to suspend arms sales.
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Mr Lammy confirmed the UK will suspend around 30 export licenses for arms and military equipment, out of a total of 350.
This will affect equipment like military aircraft, helicopters and drones, he told MPs on Monday afternoon.
Speaking to LBC’s Ben Kentish, Mr Lammy rejected claims the United States had been left "unhappy" by his decision.
He said: "I have spoken to Tony Blinken (US Secretary of State) about this matter. I don't recognise at all what is being said. What the Americans have said, and I've said this on the record, is that they totally respect and understand our legal regime here.
"They have a different legal regime and they make their own determinations, but they respect and understand ours and they know that this was a quasi-legal process and they've known that for months.
Mr Lammy recognised the decision to halt the sale of arms could lead to disappointment in Israel but called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to immediately agree ceasefire terms with Hamas.
He said: “I think that there's a deal on the table. I really, really hope by now that that deal would be accepted.
“And in the end it requires leadership. It requires leadership on the behalf of Bibi Netanyahu, and it requires leadership on behalf of (Hamas leader) Yahya Sinwar.
“Let's get this deal done. Let's get the hostages that are now still there out. Let's get the aid in. Let's have a ceasefire.”
On whether Netanyahu could have done more to free the hostages, Mr Lammy added: “I recognise and you can see this in within Israel, there's a lot of strife now, I've spent a lot of time with hostage families and they're urging him to take the deal.
LBC Exclusive: David Lammy discusses his partial suspension of arms sales to Israel
“And of course I urge him to take the deal. That's the message I that I gave him. That's the message I gave him when I met him. That's the message I give to all ministers. Take the deal.”
Mr Lammy told Ben Kentish that the decision to suspend just 10 per cent of UK arms agreements with Israel was still a regrettable one.
He said: “It's not my job to act as judge and jury. That is a job for our international courts. It's my job to examine our export licencing regime against our laws, which is about a clear risk. And in making that assessment, regrettably, and it's in sorrow, Israel is a close ally.
“We've always been clear that Israel has a right to defend itself within international humanitarian law, and regrettably we had to make this decision. And the decision is to suspend those licences that we know could be used in Gaza, and that represents the 10%.
“The focus is on Gaza and quite rightly the international humanitarian law in relation to Gaza, and we have suspended the licences in that theatre of conflict, and that was the right thing to do.”
On the timing of the announcement, Mr Lammy added: “The level of trauma and heartache in the country (Israel) is tremendous. So I do recognise that.
“This is a process. It's a quasi-legal process and it's important that I follow that process and there's a lot of scrutiny on the process, quite understandably, and I didn't want to be in a position - I couldn't be in a position - where I didn't follow the course of that process.
“And I'm afraid that it was the process that determined the date and the reporting to Parliament and there and as my colleague, the Defence Secretary said, there is, there's no good day.”
But Israel is said to be both "disappointed" and "furious" about the decision.
Defence minister Yoav Gallant said he was "deeply disheartened" by what he described as "sanctions placed by the UK Government on export licenses to Israel's defence establishment".
Foreign minister Israel Katz said the move sent a “very problematic” message to Hamas and Iran.
“Israel is disappointed by the series of recent decisions made by the British government, including the latest decision on defence exports to Israel, its decision to withdraw its request to submit a friendly position to the ICC, and its position regarding UNRWA, as well as the recent British conduct and statements in the UN Security Council,” he said in a statement.
Meanwhile, another senior Israeli official told The Telegraph that Israel is “furious” and the UK should think about the “signal it sends to the world” following Hamas' execution of six hostages.
