Canada and UK Restrict Arms Sales to Israel Over Gaza War

October 2024
By Michael T. Klare

In what appears to be a growing trend, Canada and the United Kingdom recently joined several other NATO members in banning or otherwise restricting arms transfers to Israel due to its military operations in Gaza.

Belgium, Italy, and Spain already had imposed such measures, claiming that Israel’s relentless air and artillery strikes on Gaza, which have killed an estimated 40,000 people and flattened most residential areas, have violated international law.

The addition of Canada and the UK to this list suggests a growing policy rift with the United States, which is Israel’s major arms provider, responsible for 69 percent of the country’s imports over the past five years, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

The UK decision to constrain arms transfers to Israel was announced Sept. 2 by Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who told Parliament that, under the UK Export Control Act of 2002, military gear cannot be exported to any country in which “there is a clear risk that the items might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.”

After an examination of all outstanding arms export licenses to Israel, several dozen were found to pose a “clear risk” of violating international law and so had been suspended by the government, he said.

As described by Lammy, the UK is not halting all arms exports to Israel, only those “that we assess [are] for use in the current conflict in Gaza,” such as key components for fighter aircraft, helicopters, and drones. The government’s decision also exempts parts for the F-35 fighter aircraft, which Israel has used for air strikes in Gaza, because the planes are being manufactured as part of a multinational program. “Suspending all licenses for the F-35 program would undermine the global F-35 supply chain that is vital for the security of the UK, our allies, and NATO,” he explained.

Lammy’s announcement was welcomed by many members of Parliament who have been pushing for a tough stance on Israel, but was criticized by Israeli leaders, who viewed it as a betrayal of a close ally, and by human rights activists, who claimed it did not go far enough.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was especially disparaging, calling the UK decision “shameful” and saying that “[w]ith or without British arms, Israel will win this war and secure our common future.”

Amnesty International, in its response, said the government’s move was “too limited and riddled with loopholes.” The group was particularly critical of the decision to exempt parts for the F-35 fighters, saying it was “a catastrophically bad decision for the future of arms control and misses a clear obligation to hold Israel accountable for its extensive war crimes and other violations.”

Anger over Israel’s perceived misconduct in Gaza also has provoked strong public opposition within Canada to arming Israel. That pressure led Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government to stop approving new permits for arms exports to Israel on Jan. 8.

This decision did not cover permits that had been approved previously, provoking widespread criticism from human rights and pro-Palestinian groups. After months of protests, the government announced on Sept. 10 that it would halt all arms shipments to Israel, even those stemming from older permits.

Following the Jan. 8 decision, “I asked my department to look into any existing permits of arms or parts of arms that could have been sent to Israel,” Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly told reporters on Sept. 10, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. After that, “I suspended this summer around 30 existing permits of Canadian companies,” she said. “We will not have any form of arms or parts of arms be sent to Gaza, period.”

Joly provided few details about the suspensions, provoking further criticism. Heather McPherson, a foreign affairs specialist for the New Democratic Party, said that Joly’s latest announcement “absolutely” does not meet her concerns. “For her to take months and months and months to take action [on the existing permits] is appalling,” she told reporters.

Neither Canada nor the UK are major arms exporters to Israel, providing less than 1 percent of its annual dollar value of military imports. Nevertheless, their decision to restrict sales over Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute a major political statement, demonstrating diminishing international support for Israel’s continued military operations.