MP Demands Halt to UK-Made Weapons Fueling Conflict
A powerful call has been made in Parliament for the UK Government to immediately suspend all arms exports to Israel amid escalating violence in Gaza. Labour MP Steve Witherden has warned that British-made weapons risk being used in what he described as an attempt to “ethnically cleanse” Palestinians. Speaking passionately, Witherden urged ministers to draw a clear “red line” to stop further exports before more lives are lost.
The heart of the controversy lies in the UK’s ongoing role in the multinational F-35 fighter jet programme. Although direct arms sales to Israel have been suspended since last year, the UK continues to supply crucial components to the F-35 global supply chain. Business Minister Douglas Alexander defended this policy, stating that cutting off parts for Israel would disrupt a wider network vital to NATO and European defence. Yet Witherden and human rights advocates argue this approach overlooks the devastating human cost unfolding on the ground.
Legal challenges have intensified as Palestinian rights group Al-Haq takes the UK Government to court, claiming the export carve-out risks complicity in serious violations of international humanitarian law. Meanwhile, Gaza remains devastated: hospitals destroyed, children starving, and civilian casualties mounting daily. Against this grim backdrop, Witherden’s demand for a total arms embargo resonates with urgency and moral clarity.
The Government insists it does not supply weapons directly to Israeli forces engaged in Gaza, but critics highlight that components supplied through global programmes can still end up fueling the conflict. This raises uncomfortable questions about transparency and accountability in the UK’s arms export controls.
As the debate intensifies, the UK faces a critical moment of reckoning. Can it uphold its strategic alliances while refusing to be implicated in what many see as a humanitarian catastrophe? Witherden’s stark warning echoes beyond Parliament walls: history will judge the UK not just by what it condemns, but by what it enables. The time for clarity and decisive action has never been more urgent.
