This petition was submitted during the 2019-2024 parliament
Petition Immediately revoke all licences for arms exports to Israel
The UK is complicit in arming Israel, and many regard Israel to be committing war crimes.
More details
Palestinian children have been made orphans, people have been crushed by buildings in airstrikes, and there have been many other tragedies. Arms that have been partly manufactured in the UK appear to be being used in the current military action in Gaza.
We believe the UK Government is on the wrong side of history, and must stop the sale of arms to Israel.
This petition closed early because of a General Election Find out more on the Petitions Committee website
Parliament will debate this petition
Parliament will debate this petition on 16 December 2024.
You'll be able to watch online on the UK Parliament YouTube channel.
Government responded
This response was given on 5 March 2024
HM Government takes its export control responsibilities very seriously and rigorously assesses every application on a case-by-case basis against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria.
Read the response in full
HM Government takes its export control responsibilities very seriously and we operate one of the most robust and transparent export control regimes in the world. This is an important lever for promoting both UK prosperity and national and global security.
We rigorously assess every application on a case-by-case basis against strict assessment criteria, the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria (the SELC).
The SELC provide a thorough risk assessment framework for export licence applications and require us to think hard about the impact of providing equipment and its capabilities. We will not license the export of equipment where to do so would be inconsistent with the SELC. These are not decisions we take lightly.
We consider a range of factors, including examining the political and security conditions in the destination country, the nature of the equipment to be exported, the organisation or unit which will ultimately be the user of the equipment, and all available information about how similar equipment has been used in the past and how it is likely to be used in the future.
The Government supports Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas, but Israel must comply with International Humanitarian Law (IHL).
The Government continues to monitor the situation closely, and we keep all export licences under continual review. If necessary, we will take action to amend, suspend or revoke licences, in line with the SELC, if circumstances require.
Department for Business and Trade
Related activity
Israel and Gaza: Prime Minister questioned by Petitions Committee Chair
The Prime Minister appeared before the Liaison Committee on Tuesday 26 March. The Chair of the Petitions Committee, Cat Smith MP, questioned the Prime Minister on a number of issues relating to the situation in Israel and Gaza, including:
- implementation of a ceasefire
- licences for UK arms exports to Israel
- delivery of aid to Gaza
For more information:
- Watch the Liaison Committee session (questions from Cat Smith MP start at 13:56:16)
- Read the transcript of the Liaison Committee (questions from Cat Smith MP start at Q46)
What is the Liaison Committee?
The Liaison Committee is made up of [Select Committee][6] Chairs. It considers the overall work of select committees, promotes the questioning of the Government and chooses committee reports for debates. It questions the Prime Minister about policy, usually three times a year.
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