American politicians may attempt to impose an embargo on British arms sales to the United States if Sir Keir Starmer blocks weapons exports to Israel, a leading Donald Trump adviser has warned.
Robert O’Brien, who served as national security adviser during the Republican presidential candidate’s previous term in office, said the so-called special relationship between the UK and Washington would be at risk if the former took action against the Jewish state.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy is currently weighing whether or not to impose restrictions on arms sales to Israel.
While the final decision is yet to be made, the government has already begun to suspend arms export licences to Israel while ministers carry out a policy review.
Earlier this month, one individual involved in arms exports to Israel, who was seeking permission, received a notice in response that stated: “suspended pending policy review”.
The government is reviewing export licences owing to allegations of widespread breaches of international humanitarian law by Israel during the war in Gaza.
Speaking at an event held by the Policy Exchange think tank in London, O’Brien claimed that an “ill-advised arms embargo” would imperil Britain’s role in the F-35 fighter jet programme.
While Israel is a relatively small buyer of British defence equipment, it is a key partner of Britain in the creation of the high-tech aircraft.
Former British senior military intelligence officer Philip Ingram previously told the JC: “The UK, under an international agreement with the United States, manufactures some of the components for the F-35. That’s not just the F-35s that the UK is using, but those F-35s that are manufactured for anyone around the world.
“The components that the UK manufactures must have an export licence. And if the end user of that particular fighter jet is Israel, that export licence is for part of the F-35s to go to Israel, which allows the Americans then to export it to Israel as part of that international agreement.”
O’Brien insisted there was a potential for a "serious rift" between the UK and America under either a Trump or Kamala Harris-led administration, given that both are committed to supporting Israel.
“I would tread very carefully. I would never presume to instruct a foreign government or give advice to a foreign government about how to conduct their affairs, but the F-35 is a joint project,” he said.
“That F-35 is going to Israel, it’s going to continue going to Israel, no matter what Turkey or the UK or any other country has to do with it.
“You’d hate to see a situation where the UK is no longer a partner on the F-35 project or other advanced platforms because of a very ill-advised arms embargo against Israel.
“That would hurt the UK with either a Democrat or a Republican administration. I think the consequence of that kind of arms embargo on Israel is something that the UK really needs to think about at a time when Russia and China are posing a massive threat to the West.”
O’Brien continued: “The US is not going to walk away from Israel, we aren’t going to put an arms embargo on Israel, and any of our allies that do are flirting with real danger and may imperil their ability and their own supply chains on the arms front
“An arms embargo would certainly lead to Congressional action to put a counter-embargo on my guess any UK sales to the US.
“I think that’s an extraordinary dangerous policy proposal that has potential to tear apart the special relationship and to really hurt the Western alliance and Nato. I advise against that.”
Britain should also act to block the International Criminal Court from obtaining arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant.
The government dropped its opposition to such a move after Labour took office.
“For the ICC to go after Israeli leaders is a joke,” O’Brien said. "The UK should take every step necessary to shut it down.”
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has been contacted for comment.
