UK Restricts Over 80 Arms Export Licenses to Israel

The United Kingdom has intensified its stance on arms exports to Israel, with restrictions now placed on over 80 export licenses, according to a report in The Jewish Chronicle. This policy expansion, announced in September, includes denying export requests for equipment that significantly contributes to the "occupation."

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband stated in Parliament that over 30 previously granted licenses, used by the IDF in Gaza, have been suspended. He described these measures as a "double lock" on arms exports.

However, the new policy largely exempts British components intended for the F-35 fighter jet program. Middle East Minister Stephen Doughty explained that while direct F-35 exports to Israel have ceased, components continue to be supplied to the program's international stockpile. Doughty argued that halting these supplies could jeopardize the entire F-35 program and affect other participating nations, citing British and allied security interests.

Conversely, Emily Thornberry, Chair of the UK Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, proposed an alternative. She suggested supplying components while clearly marking them to prevent their use in F-35s delivered to Israel, referencing a similar model reportedly adopted in the Netherlands.