CLPs that support the suspension of weapons supplies from the UK to Israel, may wish to consider the model motion set out below.

Suspend the provision of weapons and weapons systems to Israel

This CLP notes:

• On 3 April an open letter, signed by more than 600 lawyers, academics and retired senior judges, including former Supreme Court Justices and the court’s former President Lady Hale, was sent to the Prime Minister, reminding him of the UK government’s obligations under international law to ‘suspend the provision of weapons and weapons systems to the Government of Israel’;
• the death toll in Gaza has now risen above 33,000 Palestinians (the majority of whom are women and children), plus humanitarian aid workers from other countries (including Britain);
• the International Court of Justice, on 26 January 2024, found it plausible that Israel’s attacks on Gaza are in breach of the Genocide Convention;

This CLP believes the UK should suspend all exports of weapons and weapons systems to Israel.

This CLP calls on the Labour Party frontbench to demand the Tory government suspend all weapons and weapons systems exports to Israel.

Motion to be sent to Leader, Deputy Leader, Shadow Foreign Affairs, and NEC members.

Email addresses
keir.starmer.mp@parliament.uk
angela.rayner.mp@parliament.uk
david.lammy.mp@parliament.uk
Other NEC members here

Further information

1) A short version of the 3 April UK judges’ and lawyers’ open letter to the Prime Minister is here: https://lawyersletter.uk/
The full letter, crammed full of facts and the legal assessments of senior UK lawyers about Israel’s assault on the Palestinians, is here: https://lawyersletter.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Gaza-letter-FIN-3-April.pdf.

2) Lord Ricketts, a former UK national security adviser, has said  arms sales should be suspended. See Huffington Post report here: https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/amp/entry/uk-should-suspend-weapons-sales-to-israel-says-former-national-security-adviser_uk_660d168de4b078af1446c40f/

3) A majority of voters in Britain back a ban on arms sales to Israel, according to a YouGov poll. See Guardian report here: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/03/majority-of-voters-in-uk-back-banning-arm-sales-to-israel-poll-finds

4) Some Labour MPs have tabled an EDM (here) calling for the suspension of UK arms supplies to Israel.