Lammy, who became foreign minister in July after a Labour election victory, indicated the new government would take a similar approach and said that further sanctions were possible…reports Asian Lite News
Britain will keep under review possible new sanctions against Israeli settlers in the West Bank and will act if it has to, foreign minister David Lammy said on Sunday, adding he was concerned by actions that were inflaming tensions.
Britain announced sanctions against Israeli settlers in February and May this year over what it said was extremist groups perpetrating settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Lammy, who became foreign minister in July after a Labour election victory, indicated the new government would take a similar approach and said that further sanctions were possible.
He added that, notwithstanding Israel’s genuine security concerns in the West Bank, “we are very worried about escalatory behaviour, very worried about inflamed tensions.”
“I’m absolutely clear: if we have to act, we will act, and I’m in discussions with G7 partners particularly and European partners on that,” Lammy said.
“I’m not announcing further sanctions today, but that is kept under close review, and as you would expect, I am deeply, deeply concerned.”
Lammy has said it would be a “mistake” to suspend all arms export licences to Israel, suggesting such a move would lead to “a wider war”.
The Foreign Secretary was asked by an audience member at a fringe event at Labour conference when the Government would take the step of introducing a full arms embargo, after the government suspended some exports to Israel. “We have suspended those licences that could be used to breach international humanitarian law in Gaza,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Labour Party managers blocked the words “genocide” and “apartheid” in reference to Israel’s conduct against Palestinians from being used in brochures at a side event during its annual conference in Liverpool.
The conference’s start was marked by pro-Palestine protests as over 15,000 people marched through the city on Saturday to express their opposition to Britain selling arms to Israel amid its ongoing siege and bombardment of Gaza.
Labour MP Kim Johnson addressed the crowd but was heckled by some protesters who urged her to “get out of the Labour Party”.
Controversy also erupted surrounding a planned fringe event on Palestine at the conference.
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) has revealed that party managers refused to allow the words “genocide” and “apartheid” to appear in the name of its fringe event scheduled for Monday in the conference brochure.
The event, set to feature members of pro-Palestinian groups in a panel discussion alongside Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy, will be described as “Justice for Palestine”, with the phrases “end the genocide” and “end the apartheid” removed.
PSC director Ben Jamal told Middle East Eye: “I think what this speaks to is the party leadership’s failure to address the root causes of the current violence that is happening in Palestine. It says it wants that violence to end, it says it wants a ceasefire.
“But it fails to acknowledge that Israel is committing the crime of apartheid, a judgement made by the International Court of Justice. It is now on trial at the world’s highest court, the ICJ, which has accepted the plausibility of South Africa’s case that Israel is committing genocide.
‘Majority distrusts Israel to act responsibly on global stage’
The Gaza conflict has led to a majority of Britons having “very high levels of distrust” in Israel’s ability to act responsibly in the world, a survey has found.
More than half believe that the UK should also increase its aid to Palestine and almost the same number wanted an arms exports ban on Israel, the British Foreign Policy Group (BFPG) annual survey said.
While the Labour government has moved away from the Conservatives’ largely unquestioning support for Israel, the survey showed that almost a third of Britons believed the country’s stance had had a negative impact on its international reputation.
However, the poll was done just before the new government announced a partial arms export ban on Israel suggesting that the decision to suspend arms sales “therefore brings government policy closer in line with public opinion”.
The poll came out on Thursday the day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticised the British government for sending “mixed messages” over its support for Israel and undermining the country’s right to self-defence.
“After the October 7 Hamas massacre, the previous British government was clear in its support,” Mr Netanyahu said. “Unfortunately, the current government is sending mixed messages.”
With the conflict in the Middle East at the centre of global politics, the BFPG poll found that 62 per cent of Britons had a very high distrust of Israel acting responsibly in global affairs, while Russia was regarded as the most distrustful by 82 per cent. Just 16 per cent said they trusted Israel.
Almost three quarters of Britons want an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and more than half of Britons support the UK increasing aid to Gaza, with just 19 per cent of Britons opposed to this.
The conflict has also led to a plurality (43 per cent) who support recognising a Palestinian state and there was significant opposition to increasing military aid to Israel, with half of Britons opposed, while just one in five supported it.
The conflict in the Middle East has led to significant domestic debate, with widespread protests and four pro-Gaza independent MPs winning seats in the general election.
The war, along with the US presidential race, has led to a “spike” in foreign policy interest. The election of a new Labour government also brought the “opportunity for the UK to redefine its position in the world”, the London-based think tank said.
Labour’s broad ambitions for UK foreign policy was found in the slogan “Britain Reconnected”. Under the mantra of ‘progressive realism’, Prime Minister Keir Starmer planned to strengthen Britain’s credibility “as a trustworthy, generous and reliable international partner”.
The poll found that nearly half (49 per cent) felt that the change in government had had a “positive effect on the UK’s reputation overseas”.
However, concerns about geopolitical conflict did not translate into significant support for increased spending on defence or international development over the National Health Service or education.
Instead, security would depend on its alliances with the US and Europe and people “now overwhelmingly support co-operation with the EU” across a wide range of areas.
There is therefore “some trepidation” over the possibility of a second Donald Trump presidential term with 54 per cent believing it would have “a negative effect on global security”.