No human rights concern would stop UK selling F-35 parts for Israel, say NGOs
No human rights concern would stop UK selling F-35 parts for Israel, say NGOs
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Campaigners argue the British government has concluded that parts for the jets must be supplied in all circumstances. Labour ministers have effectively determined there is no human rights concern that could justify halting the sale of F-35 fighter jet parts that could be used by Israel in Gaza, according to a legal submission from two campaign groups.
Lawyers representing the NGOs Al-Haq and Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) argue the UK government has concluded that the UK has to continue supplying F-35 parts in all circumstances, otherwise Nato air defence against Russia could be compromised. The claim comes in a new document submitted on behalf of the campaign groups as part of a judicial review attempt to force the UK to halt all exports to Israel related to F-35s on human rights grounds, because of the impact on civilians of bombing in Gaza.
If F-35s using British parts were used “by Israel or senior Israeli officials to commit or facilitate serious violations” of humanitarian law, lawyers for the campaigners argue, ministers “would not even take them into account”. Their position is based on a previous submission from the government’s legal team. That said the UK accepts that the UK-made components for F-35 jets “might be used” by Israel to commit war crimes.
