Labour’s arms ban: bad timing and bad politics

The contrasting image of Israelis grieving the murder of their loved ones because of the barbarism of an Islamist terrorist organisation that is committed to their annihilation and which is willing to put Palestinian civilians in harm’s way to accomplish that goal, and an announcement criticised by the Israeli government as “shameful” that came from a British minister who served on the Labour frontbench during the invasion of Iraq in 2003, really doesn’t sit well with a lot of people.

And that is before we get into the politics.

Military figures the JC spoke to before this announcement warned that a decision on arms exports could send the wrong message to terrorists in the Middle East. And American officials told ITV’s Robert Peston they were disappointed by the announcement.

Why make a decision against a UK ally (Israel) and reportedly upset our most important ally (the United States)?

If we are honest, Labour MPs probably aren’t keen to put their head above the parapet to defend Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

It is highly likely they don’t want to deal with the avalanche of angry correspondence and criticism from constituents that will come as a result of sticking up for someone who appointed fringe right-wing extremists to his government – all in the name of ensuring his political survival.

Bibi’s actions in government were always going to make lives harder for people who care about the State of Israel – Jewish and non-Jewish.

But the UK government’s decision won’t actually stop the angry correspondence pinging into MPs inboxes. The announcement – which Lammy stressed was “not an arms embargo” and during which he described himself as a liberal Zionist – smacks of trying to triangulate a position to please everyone. Newsflash, it hasn’t.

Israel’s critics aren’t packing up shop as a result of the government’s decision. They are demanding tougher action. Responding to Lammy, Green MP Ellie Chowns said: “There are online posts from the Israel Defence Forces indicating that F35s have been used in bombing Gaza—so I urge him to review the case again and to suspend those licences.”

She has a point. What is the difference between a bomb dropped in Gaza from an F35 and from other aircraft?

By Lammy’s own admission, the action the government is taking “will not have a material impact on Israel’s security”. The decision to exempt the F35s was taken because of the huge rift including them would have caused with the United States and the UK’s Nato allies.

So is this just gesture politics?

After the general election, Labour’s leaders were clearly spooked by their losses and near losses in constituencies with large numbers of Muslim voters.

If this announcement, along with other policy decisions by the government since it came to office such as restoring funding to controversial Palestinian UN agency Unrwa and removing the objections to the International Criminal Court seeking arrest warrants against Israeli leaders, is part of some effort to win back support from Muslim voters, then it is unlikely to succeed.

Rival parties demanding tougher action will be able to say, as they were always going to, that Labour hasn’t taken tough enough action against Israel.

Labour has managed to do the unthinkable: unite anti and pro-Israel campaigners in frustration at their decision.