UK Arms Deals with Israel 

The Liberal Democrats have consistently raised the issue of human rights and breaches of International Law by Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and will continue to do so. We were the first major party to call for the banning of arms sales to Israel following their continued human rights abuses in Gaza and the West Bank.

We have repeatedly called on the Government to go further in imposing a full arms embargo, sanctioning all members of the Cabinet – including Netanyahu – who are complicit in the illegal aid blockade and targeting of civilians, and supporting the gathering of evidence for future accountability for these crimes against humanity.

EDM 1385, signed by myself and all 72 Liberal Democrat MPs, clearly outlines the Liberal Democrat position towards Israel and the conflict in the Middle East. We maintain a longstanding commitment to a peaceful resolution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine, and a commitment to improve the UK’s control of arms exports.

The Liberal Democrats have condemned any disproportionate force used by all sides and have always stood firmly for the values of liberalism, internationalism and in support of the indivisibility of human rights and the rule of law. We strongly support a negotiated peace settlement with a two-state solution. A sustainable solution will only be reached in the context of two separate Israeli and Palestinian states, mutually recognised and internationally accepted, which are viable, peaceful, democratic and exist within borders which are secure and based on the situation before the 1967 conflict.