Israel Palestine border
© JACK GUEZ / AFPIsraeli soldiers at the border fence of Israel and Gaza. Several thousand Gazans gather for mass protests. April 13, 2018
The Board of Deputies of British Jews and Labour Friends of Israel have attacked Labour for passing a motion at their conference that calls for "a freeze of UK Government arms sales to Israel," labeling the move "irresponsible."

Marie van der Zyl, the president of the board of deputies, insisted that UK arms sales to Israel were a crucial part of "military cooperation" between the two countries. She described Labour's position as "irresponsible" and "misguided," warning the move could "endanger British civilians and assets in both the Middle East and in the UK," the Jerusalem Post reports.

"Israel is situated in a region of unique turmoil and threat, faced with implacable enemies determined to kill civilians and ultimately destroy Israel in its entirety," she said.

Van der Zyl added: "It is absolutely right to provide arms for the country's defence," she continued, adding that an arms embargo could threaten British jobs and security.

"Decreasing military cooperation, including arms sales, could endanger British civilians and assets in both the Middle East and in the UK."

There were scenes of jubilation during the debate on Palestine at Labour's conference, which saw the party agree to call a halt on UK arms sales to Israel, with many Palestinian flags raised aloft during proceedings.

The full, unprecedented motion passed. It notes that "the majority of Palestinian people were forcibly displaced from their homes" during the Nakba and condemns the "aggressive attempt to rewrite history and erase the victims of the 1948 war."

It calls for an "independent international investigation into Israel's use of force against Palestinian demonstrators," an "immediate and unconditional end to the illegal blockade and closure of Gaza," and "a freeze of UK Government arms sales to Israel."


Jennifer Gerber, the director of Labour Friends of Israel - a Westminster-based lobby group that has been highly critical of Jeremy Corbyn's views on Israel and Palestine - called the motion "deeply disturbing but sadly unsurprising."

"One-sided resolutions, denunciations of the world's only Jewish state, antisemitic conspiracy theories and an abject failure to recognise the existential threats posed to Israel, show that this is a party which is no longer remotely serious about peace," she said.

Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) Chair Hugh Lanning argued that Labour had "done the right thing."

Lanning said: "We have witnessed extraordinary scenes of solidarity today and the Labour Party has done the right thing by recognising the longstanding injustice of Israel's violation of Palestinian rights.

"This is an important step forward in building solidarity with Palestinians within Labour and we hope the leadership will listen to the will of the party on this issue."