The UK Government must suspend its trade agreement with Israel and ongoing negotiations around a deeper free trade agreement, pending the outcome of a thorough review and the end of grave human rights violations committed by Israeli authorities in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel. It must also ban the import of all settlement products.
We at the Trade Justice Movement – alongside 20+ other NGOs including Amnesty International UK, Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights, Global Justice Now, and War on Want – have written to the UK Government following the ICJ July 19 Advisory Opinion, which placed an obligation on all countries including the UK not to aid or assist Israel’s occupation.
Any agreement that helps Israel to profit from its unlawful occupation will almost certainly place the UK in breach of international law – and the UK’s plans for deeper trade relations look almost certain to benefit industries involved in breaches of international law.
On top of this, when the ICJ opened its genocide investigation into Israel’s operations in Gaza, it placed obligations on all countries to use “means likely to have a deterrent effect” on Israel. Rather than deterring Israel’s attacks, the government’s plans for a new trade deal risk rewarding them.
Instead of supporting a nation under investigation for genocide, this government must use every means at its disposal to end this violence. Suspending the UK’s existing trade agreement with Israel, and scrapping talks over a new deal – pending the outcome of a review and the end of human rights violations committed by Israeli authorities – are clear steps toward this.
Nick Dearden, Director of Global Justice Now said:
“Amid the horrific injustices being committed against the Palestinian people, it’s staggering that this government would even entertain the idea of deepening trade ties with Israel. The UK’s plans for deeper trade relations with Israel also look certain to benefit industries involved in breaches of international law. Instead of providing support and diplomatic cover to a nation under investigation for genocide, this government must use every means at its disposal to end this violence.”
Sacha Deshmukh, Chief Executive of Amnesty International UK said:
“The UK’s ‘business as usual’ approach to trade relations with Israel has emboldened Israel to repeatedly cross legal and ethical boundaries in its illegal occupation of Palestinian land, its system of apartheid, and its war crimes and possible genocide in Gaza.”
Asad Rehman, Executive Director of War on Want said:
“As Gaza burns, the UK remains one of Israel’s key trading partners. To avoid being complicit in crimes against humanity and a plausible case of genocide, the UK must immediately suspend all trade privileges, agreement and negotiations, pending the outcome of a thorough and impartial review.”
