Opposition leader Rishi Sunak challenged the government’s decision to suspend 30 of the UK’s 350 arms export licenses to Israel at Prime Minister’s Questions.

“It is a decision the Chief Rabbi says ‘beggars belief’ and will encourage our shared enemies,” he said.

Starmer claimed the government “came to a clear legal conclusion and shared that conclusion and assessment with Parliament. We will of course continue to stand by Israel’s right to self-defence, but it is important that we are a country committed to the international rule of law.”

He added that the government’s action was a “legal decision not a policy decision” to chants of “nonsense” and “take responsibility” from the Conservative benches.

Sunak also questioned the Prime Minister over a reported rift with the United States over arms sales to Israel. The Conservative leader said it was “essential to maintain transatlantic unity in the face of terrorist threats and avoid any perception of splits between our two nations.”

Starmer replied that “we have talked this through with our allies” and that “they have a different legal system.”

He rebuked ongoing Tory hecklers and said “this is a serious issue that requires serious consideration” and that the government had properly used the legal framework to arrive at their decision.

He continued, “applying the facts of that framework and arriving at a decision does not permit me to simply then say I’m not going to implement the legal decision or conclusion that has been reached.”

The Leader of the Opposition also brought up criticism of Starmer from the Board of Deputies as he attacked the “emotional consequences” of the government’s announcement of the suspension of arms sales to Israel on Monday, the same day several Israeli hostages killed by Hamas were being buried.

The Prime Minister responded: “We absolutely recognise and support Israel’s right to self-defence and have taken action in support of that right”.

Starmer insisted that on arms exports, “this isn’t an Israel issue. This is the framework for all licenses that have to be kept under review.” 

He continued: “Having applied the law to the facts and come to a legal conclusion I don’t think the Leader of the Opposition is really inviting me to put that to one side … We either comply with international law or we don’t. We only have strength in our arguments because we comply with international law.”