Stopping arms sales to Israel would harm the UK

Given the size of Israel, the October 7 atrocities would equate to the slaughter of around 10,000 British citizens. What would people in Britain expect if 2,500 British kids were murdered at Glastonbury or if 1,800 people were kidnapped by Islamist terrorists who had declared war on the UK?

The death of any innocent civilian is a tragedy, but responsibility for the situation in Gaza lies with Hamas who deliberately provoked this war, hide weapons and fighters in densely-packed civilian areas and promise to repeat the October 7 atrocities again and again. Imposing a ceasefire now would allow the terrorists the opportunity to do just that.

Hamas are completely opposed to any peace process. They are determined to destroy Israel and murder not just its citizens but Palestinians who believe in negotiations and coexistence as well, so it is not possible to envisage any sort of peaceful future, let alone the two-state solution Lord Cameron wants to see, until Hamas are destroyed.

This is why, instead of threatening to ban arms exports, the UK should be doing everything possible to help Israel win the war as quickly as possible.

Even if none of that makes them think again, politicians calling for a halt in arms exports should consider the wider impact of undermining the defence relationship. A new report from BICOM shows that the UK benefits much more than Israel from the defence and security partnership between the two countries.

Research by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute shows that 99 per cent of Israeli weapon imports are from US and Germany. British defence exports to Israel are worth less than £50 million a year and amount to less than 0.9% of its total arms imports. Much of that is related to radars for defence, dual use goods for non-military use or for equipment assembled in Israel before being exported to a third country.

This means the impact on Israel would be negligible, but a reciprocal move against Britain would be much more significant because much more equipment – and vital intelligence – comes the other way.

Israeli intelligence on Iranian-sponsored Islamist terrorism has thwarted attacks like the one planned by Hezbollah in 2015. One expert told me that without Israeli technology, the RAF could not get its planes in the air. Drones and armoured vehicle defences from Israel protected British troops engaged in dangerous and difficult operations against terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Equipment we export is used to clear tunnels in Gaza, for example, but the impact of an arms embargo would have much greater propaganda value than any impact on Israel’s ability to fight the war. Israel would be even more isolated and the UK’s standing in the eyes of the Israeli public would suffer huge damage. Moscow, Beijing and Tehran would be delighted by another example of the West’s weakness in supporting the Middle East’s only democracy and standing up for the values we share.

Our enemies would be strengthened and our allies weakened. Britain’s security services denied vital intelligence and its ability to defend itself undermined. Our troops would be put at risk.

Good luck to ministers and MPs who try explaining all that to the public.

Lord Austin is a former Labour MP