Senior Jewish peer says Starmer right over Israel arms export decision

A senior Jewish peer has backed Keir Starmer over the controversial decision to suspend some arms export licences to Israel, and claimed the previous Tory government had failed to follow similar advice.

In a major intervention, crossbench peer Lord Carlile, who sits on the all-party committee for Israel, said the Prime Minister had shown “courage and conviction… however difficult it is” with the move.

Writing for The Independent, Carlile, who has been a vocal critic of the BBC over allegations it is biased against Israel, said:“The legal advice relied upon by Sir Keir Starmer and David Lammy has long been known to senior UK ministers.

“Sitting on clear legal advice for more than a very short time cannot be justified. Starmer has shown courage and a conviction that the right thing must be done – however difficult it is.”

Carlile, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation between 2001 and 2011, also claimed that former foreign secretary Lord Cameron received the same legal advice as that acted upon by foreign secretary David Lammy last week but chose not to act on it.

This claim was denied by a source close to Cameron.

Barrister Carlile also described Starmer as “one of the most able analytical lawyers of his generation” and said that former prime ministers such as Boris Johnson “should have known better” before making “wildly disproportionate” criticism of the decision.

He also said he was “dismayed” by attacks by communal leaders on the suspension of a limited number of arms exports.

Carlile noted that Italy, the Dutch courts, Spain. and Canada have all reached often harsher verdicts on arms sales to Israel.

“It is crucial that the rule of law – which prevents the abuse of state power and applies to all – is not shouted down in an unruly way by people who are acting on prejudice, dressed up as principle,” he added.

“It is insidious that democracy, brought about by parliamentarians doing exactly what legal advice dictates, should be hijacked by populist sloganeering – especially when that comes from former prime ministers like Boris Johnson, who should know better.”

He also strongly condemed Benjamin Netanyahu saying:”His stubborn resistance in recent months to sound advice given by IDF commanders, by the families of hostages who remain unaccounted for, and by senior international figures including the president and vice-president of the USA, to many of us signifies a person no longer fit for high office.”