{"id":2433,"date":"2024-09-03T11:06:38","date_gmt":"2024-09-03T11:06:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/chris-mason-government-sets-out-more-israel-sceptic-posture\/"},"modified":"2024-09-03T11:06:38","modified_gmt":"2024-09-03T11:06:38","slug":"chris-mason-government-sets-out-more-israel-sceptic-posture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/chris-mason-government-sets-out-more-israel-sceptic-posture\/","title":{"rendered":"Chris Mason: Government sets out more Israel-sceptic posture"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Chris Mason: Government sets out more Israel-sceptic posture<\/p>\n<div data-component=\"image-block\" class=\"ssrcss-xza2yt-ComponentWrapper ep2nwvo1\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-1vfya96-StyledFigure e34k3c22\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-787sub-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/9b8a\/live\/3ebd4eb0-6987-11ef-be5e-27a377e7f1d0.jpg.webp 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/9b8a\/live\/3ebd4eb0-6987-11ef-be5e-27a377e7f1d0.jpg.webp 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/9b8a\/live\/3ebd4eb0-6987-11ef-be5e-27a377e7f1d0.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/624\/cpsprodpb\/9b8a\/live\/3ebd4eb0-6987-11ef-be5e-27a377e7f1d0.jpg.webp 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/9b8a\/live\/3ebd4eb0-6987-11ef-be5e-27a377e7f1d0.jpg.webp 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/976\/cpsprodpb\/9b8a\/live\/3ebd4eb0-6987-11ef-be5e-27a377e7f1d0.jpg.webp 976w\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"British Foreign Secretary David Lammy shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in front of the flags of their respective countries. \" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/bUONTE.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/9b8a\/live\/3ebd4eb0-6987-11ef-be5e-27a377e7f1d0.jpg 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/9b8a\/live\/3ebd4eb0-6987-11ef-be5e-27a377e7f1d0.jpg 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/9b8a\/live\/3ebd4eb0-6987-11ef-be5e-27a377e7f1d0.jpg 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/624\/cpsprodpb\/9b8a\/live\/3ebd4eb0-6987-11ef-be5e-27a377e7f1d0.jpg 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/9b8a\/live\/3ebd4eb0-6987-11ef-be5e-27a377e7f1d0.jpg 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/976\/cpsprodpb\/9b8a\/live\/3ebd4eb0-6987-11ef-be5e-27a377e7f1d0.jpg 976w\" width=\"1536\" height=\"863.7947255880257\" class=\"ssrcss-11yxrdo-Image edrdn950\"><\/picture><\/span><span role=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-tvuve5-StyledFigureCopyright e34k3c20\">FCDO\/ Ben Dance<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"byline-block\" class=\"ssrcss-1hbb5i-BylineComponentWrapper e8mq1e90\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-qt5zqv-BylineWrapper e8mq1e917\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-h3c0s8-ContributorContainer e8mq1e916\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1u2in0b-Container-ContributorDetails e8mq1e913\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-68pt20-Text-TextContributorName e8mq1e96\">Chris Mason<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-84ltp5-Text e8mq1e910\">Political Editor<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-jlwt2c-Divider e8mq1e915\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"metadata-block\" class=\"ssrcss-xza2yt-ComponentWrapper ep2nwvo1\">\n<div>\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-1ik71mx-MetadataStripContainer eh44mf03\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-13nu8ri-GroupChildrenForWrapping eh44mf02\">\n<li role=\"listitem\" class=\"ssrcss-30fcoe-MetadataStripItem eh44mf01\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-m5j4pi-MetadataContent eh44mf00\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pvwv4b-MetadataSnippet e4wm5bw3\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1if1g9v-MetadataText e4wm5bw1\"><time data-testid=\"timestamp\" datetime=\"2024-09-03T05:23:53.749Z\">5 hours ago<\/time><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/div>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\"><b class=\"ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3\">It felt like quite a moment.<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The new-ish government spelling out a different approach to Israel and the conflict in the Middle East from that of its predecessor \u2013 the third such time it has done so in two months.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">When David Lammy became foreign secretary in early July, he requested an assessment of whether the evidence suggested Israel\u2019s approach to the war could be in breach of international law.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The assessment, I understand, was similar to those requested by the previous government and conducted by the same group of officials.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">But officials advise and ministers decide \u2013 and ministers now have come to a different conclusion than their predecessors.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Here is how the process works.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Laws passed when Labour was last in government set out the controls that must be in place when goods are exported for military use or potential military use.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">They are the Export Control Act 2002 and the Export Control Order 2008.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1o5f7ft-BulletListContainer e5tfeyi0\">\n<ul role=\"list\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Live: UK suspension of some arms exports sends &#8216;wrong message&#8217;, says Israeli minister<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">As Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds set out: \u201cFollowing a rigorous process in line with the UK\u2019s legal obligations, the UK Government has concluded that there is a clear risk that military exports to Israel, where used for military operations in Gaza, might be used in serious violations of international humanitarian law.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">You can read Mr Reynolds\u2019 full written statement here. And here is the government\u2019s summary of its own arguments. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">It is worth keeping a sense of proportion on all this.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Of roughly 350 arms exports to Israel, about 30 are being suspended \u2013 so less than 10%.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">And the UK is not a particularly significant arms exporter to Israel anyway.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">But messages and signals matter in politics \u2013 internationally and domestically.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The Israeli government, which was told privately in advance before the public announcement, has expressed its disappointment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Shadow foreign secretary Andrew Mitchell \u2013 himself the deputy foreign secretary in the last Conservative government until earlier this summer \u2013 wasn\u2019t initially critical, but later was, saying the move had \u201call the appearance of something designed to satisfy Labour\u2019s backbenches, while at the same time not offending Israel, an ally in the Middle East. I fear it will fail on both counts\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Senior government figures insist they are legally obliged to suspend these export licences given the conclusion they have come to.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">But they are trying to ameliorate their actions with their words, insisting too that the decision is a matter of \u201cdeep regret.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"links-block\" class=\"ssrcss-12l5xzx-LinksComponentWrapper e3eyuya0\">\n<section class=\"ssrcss-msolhr-LinksWrapper e3eyuya5\">\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-mh3hvv-InContentLinksGrid e3eyuya3\">\n<li class=\"ssrcss-r2yl4r-PromoItem e3eyuya1\">\n<div data-testid=\"promo\" class=\"ssrcss-s1qr4x-Promo e1vyq2e80\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1enzf19-PromoCompact e18gnqux0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1d68cot-PromoContent exn3ah99\">\n<div spacing=\"2\" class=\"ssrcss-1f3bvyz-Stack e1y4nx260\"><span role=\"text\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1sen9vx-PromoHeadline exn3ah96\"><span aria-hidden=\"false\">UK suspends some arms exports to Israel<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<div spacing=\"2\" class=\"ssrcss-1f3bvyz-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<div>\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-1ik71mx-MetadataStripContainer eh44mf03\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-13nu8ri-GroupChildrenForWrapping eh44mf02\">\n<li role=\"listitem\" class=\"ssrcss-30fcoe-MetadataStripItem eh44mf01\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-m5j4pi-MetadataContent eh44mf00\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pvwv4b-MetadataSnippet e4wm5bw3\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1if1g9v-MetadataText e4wm5bw1\">8 hours ago<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/div>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ssrcss-r2yl4r-PromoItem e3eyuya1\">\n<div data-testid=\"promo\" class=\"ssrcss-s1qr4x-Promo e1vyq2e80\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1enzf19-PromoCompact e18gnqux0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1d68cot-PromoContent exn3ah99\">\n<div spacing=\"2\" class=\"ssrcss-1f3bvyz-Stack e1y4nx260\"><span role=\"text\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1sen9vx-PromoHeadline exn3ah96\"><span aria-hidden=\"false\">Extremist settlers rapidly seizing West Bank land<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<div spacing=\"2\" class=\"ssrcss-1f3bvyz-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<div>\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-1ik71mx-MetadataStripContainer eh44mf03\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-13nu8ri-GroupChildrenForWrapping eh44mf02\">\n<li role=\"listitem\" class=\"ssrcss-30fcoe-MetadataStripItem eh44mf01\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-m5j4pi-MetadataContent eh44mf00\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pvwv4b-MetadataSnippet e4wm5bw3\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1if1g9v-MetadataText e4wm5bw1\">11 hours ago<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/div>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ssrcss-r2yl4r-PromoItem e3eyuya1\">\n<div data-testid=\"promo\" class=\"ssrcss-s1qr4x-Promo e1vyq2e80\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1enzf19-PromoCompact e18gnqux0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1d68cot-PromoContent exn3ah99\">\n<div spacing=\"2\" class=\"ssrcss-1f3bvyz-Stack e1y4nx260\"><span role=\"text\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1sen9vx-PromoHeadline exn3ah96\"><span aria-hidden=\"false\">Netanyahu asks &#8216;forgiveness&#8217; over hostage deaths as protests continue<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<div spacing=\"2\" class=\"ssrcss-1f3bvyz-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<div>\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-1ik71mx-MetadataStripContainer eh44mf03\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-13nu8ri-GroupChildrenForWrapping eh44mf02\">\n<li role=\"listitem\" class=\"ssrcss-30fcoe-MetadataStripItem eh44mf01\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-m5j4pi-MetadataContent eh44mf00\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pvwv4b-MetadataSnippet e4wm5bw3\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1if1g9v-MetadataText e4wm5bw1\">12 hours ago<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/div>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">And they say this decision was taken on its own merits, as were the other two relating to the conflict that I mentioned a moment ago.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">They were the resumption of funding for UNRWA, the UN\u2019s agency for Palestinian refugees.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">And the dropping of plans to challenge the right of the International Criminal Court to seek an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">There is subtlety and nuance in each of these decisions, but they do collectively add up to a more Israel-sceptic posture than the last Conservative government adopted.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">For much of the last year, since the Hamas atrocities in Israel, Labour has felt political pressure from those who claim it has been too unthinkingly supportive of Israel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">And in seats with a substantial Muslim population, the conflict and Labour\u2019s approach to it often proved to be a big issue for voters at the general election.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Yes, that sense of proportion and scale is worth bearing in mind.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">But so too the message and the signal being sent \u2013 about the different choices a new government is taking.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"topic-list\" class=\"ssrcss-1qmkvfu-TopicListWrapper etw6iwl1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-113c0cq-StyledTagContainer ed0g1kj1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-50vlbt-TopicListHeaderWrapper etw6iwl0\">\n<h2 type=\"normal\" class=\"ssrcss-ad2rmd-Heading e10rt3ze0\">Related Topics<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17ehax8-Cluster e1ihwmse1\">\n<ul role=\"list\" spacing=\"2\" class=\"ssrcss-1ujonwb-ClusterItems e1ihwmse0\">\n<li>Israel-Gaza war<\/li>\n<li>David Lammy<\/li>\n<li>Andrew Mitchell<\/li>\n<li>Jonathan Reynolds<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Published at Tue, 03 Sep 2024 05:23:53 +0000<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chris Mason: Government sets out more Israel-sceptic posture FCDO\/ Ben Dance Chris Mason Political Editor 5 hours ago It felt like quite a moment. The new-ish government spelling out a different approach to Israel and the conflict in the Middle East from that of its predecessor \u2013 the third such time it has done so&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/chris-mason-government-sets-out-more-israel-sceptic-posture\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Chris Mason: Government sets out more Israel-sceptic posture<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2432,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2433","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uk-politics","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2433","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2433"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2433\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2432"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2433"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2433"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2433"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}