Kemi Badenoch questions Labour’s ‘legal agenda’ for Israel arms ban
Tory leadership hopeful claims that political rather than legal considerations were behind partial suspension
Conservative leadership contender Kemi Badenoch has issued a rebuttal to Labour’s justification for its controversial partial arms embargo on Israel.
In a series of posts on Twitter/X, the MP for North West Essex stated: “It is not true that the removal of Israel arms licenses was a legal decision. Keir Starmer should not hide behind this fig leaf. It was very much a political decision.”
Badenoch, who previously served as trade secretary, added, “I know this because I oversaw arms licenses and reviewed the legal advice. So why has the decision been made? It’s because Labour are scared…”
Her nine tweets, which have been widely shared across social media and viewed more than 70,000 times, she goes on to claim: “People will remember in February when a vote in parliament was compromised by Labour MPs who were intimidated by the anti-Israel lobby. We are now governed by a party that is not brave enough to face down intimidation and lobbying.”
Badenoch adds that whilst a member of the Conservative government, she made a “considered decision to maintain all existing licences for arms exports to Israel. Union-backed civil servants threatened to stop work and go on strike. My response was not to make concessions but to make it clear that they were there to deliver the government’s agenda. Not their own.”
She goes on: “We had numerous protests outside my department. On one occasion, the building was stormed. The security guards and some of my staff were pushed and shoved around. It was threatening and scary for all of us but despite that, (and unlike Labour MPs) I stood firm and did my job.”
She claims that the UK has “one of the most robust export control systems in the world” and what many don’t realise is that “imported Israeli arms have protected UK service personnel in conflicts like Afghanistan and Iraq. Along with intelligence, our defence trade with Israel is of mutual benefit, and when this war ends, Israel’s view of our trade relationship will be changed.”
Badenoch says she is “very concerned about the Prime Minister’s pretence today that this was a legal decision. It isn’t. It is VERY political. The Labour government has once again prioritised the mob over UK interests, making politically charged foreign policy decisions that lack legal reasoning and weaken our position in the global fight against Iran and her terrorist proxies.”
Quoting the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) report which states “”it has not been possible to reach a determinative judgment on allegations regarding Israel’s conduct of hostilities”, Badenoch asks “If it hasn’t been possible to reach a judgement why are licenses suspended?
“And if ministers suspend licenses, without “a determinative judgment” even being reached, why would anyone buy arms from the UK? Our defence industry is critical to national security and our economy.
Playing around with it like this is dangerous.”
She concludes by claiming Keir Starmer is “using and politicising the law for political ends. In doing so he has upset key allies like the USA and been unbelievably insensitive by making the announcement on the day we learned of the cold-blooded murder of six Israeli hostages by Hamas.”
The thread is being widely shared and agreed with by commentators across Twitter, with one declaring “Kemi dropping absolute bombs. Killer thread.”
As reported by Jewish News, Foreign Secretary David Lammy confirmed the UK’s suspension of 30 out of 350 arms export licences to Israel. In a move causing widespread communal anger, he made the announcement in the Commons on the same day Israel buried six hostages murdered by Hamas.
Defending the ban, Lammy told the Commons: “This is not a blanket ban, this is not an arms embargo. It targets around 30, approximately of 350 licences to Israel in total, for items which could be used in the current conflict in Gaza. The rest will continue”, adding that the decision won’t have a “material impact on Israel’s security. This suspension only covers items which might be used in the current conflict.”
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