LONDON – Britain has lifted what was in effect viewed as a partial arms embargo on arms sales to Israel that was imposed toward the end of last year’s Gaza war, because of fears some British components in weapons and equipment might be used against Palestinian civilians.
Even stricter criteria for arms sales to Israel were introduced shortly after the war by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, which at the time was headed by Vincent Cable, a Liberal Democrat MP who was part of the then-coalition with the Conservative led government.
Despite protests from several coalition partner Conservative Ministers and MPs, Cable took seriously a number of unverified accusations that Israel was in breach of the arms sales criteria and confirmed that approval for 12 arms export licenses would be suspended if hostilities resumed.
Cable explained at the time that the government was unable to clarify whether the arms sales licenses concerned – which included components for radars and tanks – breached UK regulations which expressly forbid exports being used for “internal repression” or “aggravate existing tensions or conflicts.”
His Liberal Democrat Party took a diametrically opposed stance toward Israel from their Conservative partners throughout the conflict.
Both said Israel had a right to defend itself, but Cable’s party went on to complain that Israel’s response to the constant Hamas rocket fire by attacking and partially invading Gaza was “disproportionate.”
Read more:
www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/UK-ends-partial-arms-ban-on-Israel-over-Gaza-fighting-409432Another good effect of getting rid of the damned Lib Dems.
