Arms Trade New Year 2025 Update

SPEAK did a Virtual Campaign Action over the last 12-14 months asking for an end to the arms sales of UK to Israel where there were massive concerns of human rights violations. Many other groups including Campaign Against Arms Trade and Amnesty International have been asking for the same thing. In September 2024 a partial ban was placed on UK arms sales to Israel. But this did not go far enough: only 30 of 350 arms licences are suspended. Campaigners say that the UK government decision does not go far enough. Excluding F35 parts, for example, despite knowing they have been used extensively to bomb Gaza, undermines the UK’s international obligations.

SPEAK did a Virtual Campaign Action over the last 12-14 months asking for an end to the arms sales of UK to Israel where there were massive concerns of human rights violations.

Many other groups including Campaign Against Arms Trade and Amnesty International have been asking for the same thing.

In September 2024 a partial ban was placed on UK arms sales to Israel. But this did not go far enough: only 30 of 350 arms licences are suspended.

Campaigners say that the UK government decision does not go far enough. Excluding F35 parts, for example, despite knowing they have been used extensively to bomb Gaza, undermines the UK’s international obligations.

We are sending an urgent shout out for reflection, meditation & Prayers for Peace. The conflict has now been going on for well over a year.

And to take action by writing to MPs and other government officials asking for an end to UK arms sales to Israel through December 2024 and January 2025.

This is so profoundly serious and the scale of death and destruction is hard for us to take in.

According to Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT): Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has now continued for well over a year. At the time of writing (28th November 2024), Israel has killed 44,330 people in Gaza and injured over 104,933, with a further 11,000 missing, many of them trapped under the rubble. Many more have died and are dying from starvation and disease resulting from Israel’s destruction of the means of life in Gaza and their deliberate denial of aid. Despite this, the UK government continues to supply arms to Israel, in particular components for Israel’s F-35 combat aircraft, one of the planes it is using to bomb Gaza.

Here is a link about this:

https://caat.org.uk/data/countries/israel/

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/9/3/what-does-the-uks-partial-stop-o...

For too long, the UK has played favourites with international law. But, because of people power, the change we have been campaigning for is happening.

The UK government has:

• Suspended some arms licences to Israel (partial success)

• Dropped its challenge against the ICC arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu.

But the UK government must do more.

Email your MP today and ask them to press for the government to: immediately halt all arms transfers to Israel, and to champion human rights for everyone.

Take action now with our easy-to-use pre-written email template and MP finder

https://new.speak.org.uk/arms-trade-january-2025/

Send a letter to the UK Prime Minister and to your MP via email or through printing out this postcard and sending it. www.writetothem.com or

Email:

keir.starmer.mp@parliament.uk

Or print and send. Copy and paste adding your own personal words.

SEND TO
Prime Minister,
10 Downing St,
London SW1A 2AA

Dear MP

I am writing as your constituent to ask that you do all you can to ensure the UK Parliament and Government respect human rights. In particular, the UK Government must do more to prevent further human rights violations by Israeli forces against Palestinians. It is good that some arms sales have been suspended in recent months (some in September 2024) but we need more change.

Human rights violations are being committed against Palestinians at staggering levels. The International Court of Justice has said there is a plausible risk that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza; and that Israel is violating the prohibition against racial segregation and apartheid across the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

I know the government has announced a limited suspension of some arms to Israel but given the context, that is not enough. Excluding F35 parts, for example, despite knowing they have been used extensively to bomb Gaza, not only makes no sense but undermines the UK’s international obligations. This loophole also sends a terrible message to people in Gaza, who have suffered under the bombs dropped by F35s and will continue to. SPEAK Network and Amnesty International is calling for a total suspension of arms transfers, in line with the human rights principles in UK arms policy.

If MPs routinely spoke about human rights positively in Parliament, I believe the UK Government would be more likely to respect them, including in relation to its arms export policy.

As your constituent I am asking you to:

1. Write to the Foreign Secretary on my behalf asking him to comply with international legal and human rights obligations and suspend all transfers of arms to Israel, with no loopholes.

2. Speak in support of human rights in Parliament as soon as you are able.

I look forward to your response.

Yours Sincerely

(please sign your name)