INTERVIEW: Time for UK to stop hiding behind legal processes: Labour MP calls for Israel arms sales vote

Richard Burgon, a lawmaker from the ruling Labour Party, has called for an immediate parliamentary vote to suspend the UK's export of F-35 fighter jet components to Israel, following a court decision that placed ultimate responsibility for the arms policy on the British government and Parliament.

“What the court has been very clear in its judgment is to say that they view it not to be a matter for the courts to decide, whether or not these F-35 exports should continue, but it's a matter for government and the Parliament,” Burgon told Anadolu.

He emphasized that the judgment should serve as a wake-up call for lawmakers: “There are some people in the government who may welcome (the) decision by the court and be relieved about it. That would be a big mistake.”

The UK High Court on Monday dismissed a judicial review brought by Palestinian human rights group Al-Haq, supported by Amnesty International UK, Human Rights Watch, and Oxfam.

The case centered on Britain's decision to exempt F-35 parts when suspending some arms export licenses for Israel last year, citing the UK's legal obligations under international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions, the Arms Trade Treaty, and the Genocide Convention.

Despite acknowledging these concerns, judges Stephen Males and Karen Steyn ruled that the so-called “F-35 carve-out” policy was lawful and beyond the jurisdiction of the courts.

Burgon said the decision made it impossible for the government to hide behind legal ambiguity. “No longer can the government pass the buck. No longer can the government say, ‘Oh, let's wait and see what the courts say.' The courts have been clear that, in their view, this is a matter for the democratic process.”

Framing the issue as both a moral and political responsibility, the MP for Leeds East warned that continued exports make the UK complicit in Israel's actions in Gaza, where its forces have killed more than 56,600 Palestinians and wounded over 134,000 since Oct. 7, 2023.

“The government has to decide whether it continues with the F-35 exports (that) end up in the hands of Israel and continues to be complicit in Israel's genocide on the people of Gaza, or would they do the right thing and take the moral and political decision to stop these exports now?”

Public opinion, he asserted, was firmly behind halting arms sales to Israel.

“The view of the people is clear. The majority of the public in this country want to see an end to all arms sales to Israel. It's time the government listens, stops hiding behind legal processes, and instead took the moral view, but also did their democratic duty and decided to stop the F-35 exports.”

- Call for safe pathways for Palestinians

Burgon also appealed for consistency in how the UK supports civilians in conflict zones, specifically pointing to the discrepancies in policies for Ukrainian and Palestinian refugees.

On Monday, a cross-party group of 67 MPs and peers sent a letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, urging them to create a “Gaza Family Scheme” modeled on the visa program the UK introduced for Ukrainians in 2022.

The letter, seen by Anadolu, expressed “grave concern at the immense suffering inflicted on Palestinians in Gaza.” It condemned Israel's “weaponization of starvation,” “intensifying campaign of bombardment,” and attacks on civilians attempting to access humanitarian aid.

The lawmakers also warned that the actual number of Palestinians killed by Israel is likely “exponentially higher” than the current reported figure.

In response, a government spokesperson said that a “range of routes” are already available for Palestinians seeking to reunite with family members in the UK.

The spokesperson said the British government's broader priorities include “an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages still cruelly detained by Hamas, protection of civilians, and much more aid entering Gaza.”

“I welcome the fact that people in the UK and UK government help people in Ukraine fleeing Russia's unlawful invasion of Ukraine,” said Burgon.

“I think we should treat the people of Gaza in a similar way, because all lives are equal, human rights are the core of all.”