THE Foreign Secretary has pushed back publishing legal advice on selling arms to Israel, despite his past calls on the Government to do so while in opposition.
David Lammy on Friday told the Commons he had started a new “process” on his first day in office to assess the legality of Britain’s continuing arms trade with Israel, amid fears the country could be committing war crimes in Gaza.
Pressed on the matter following a statement in which he announced the Government was restoring funding to Unrwa, the United Nation’s organisation which supports humanitarian relief in Palestine, Lammy was urged to publish the Government’s legal advice on weapons exports to Israel.
While in opposition, he urged the former foreign secretary David Cameron to publish the Government’s advice.
Lord Cameron had said the evidence provided to him did not support the suspension of arms sales.
Labour backbencher Andy Slaughter said: “When will he publish the Government’s assessment of whether any parties have breached international law since October 7 and what the consequences of any such breaches should be?”
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Lammy said he would chose his words “carefully” and replied: “This is a quasi-legal process and it’s important that I follow the actions in the appropriate way, with all probity and all integrity so I would consider those assessments when they’re made available to me.
“I instigated a process on the first day in office. I am supported, of course, in that by our Attorney General and I hope to be able to make my views known with full accountability and transparency.”
LibDem MP Munira Wilson (below) pointed out that Lammy had previously called for the legal advice to be made public, saying: “As shadow foreign secretary, he called on the then-Conservative government to publish the legal advice they’d received on this matter. Will he commit to doing so now?”
Lammy committed to making his decision with “full accountability and transparency”.
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He also faced pressure from within the Labour ranks, including from Melanie Ward, the new MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath and former head of the Medical Aid for Palestinians charity, to support the work of both the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The ICC is expected to issue new arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, including prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while the ICJ is considering accusations Israel is committing a genocide in Gaza.
Tim Bierley, a campaigner with the pressure group Global Justice Now, said: "Restoring funding to UNRWA is welcome and long overdue.
"But while the UK is giving aid with one hand, it continues to send weapons used in the ongoing killing of civilians with the other.
"Labour has had more than enough time to review the evidence: the UK must ban all arms sales to Israel with immediate effect."
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