A Bill to stop the UK government selling arms to Israel has been introduced in the Commons by Labour MP Richard Burgon.

The East Leeds MP and chairman of Labour’s Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs is sponsoring the Israel Arms Trade (Prohibition) Bill.

The Bill has little chance of becoming law but will serve as a rallying point for the hard-left faction within Labour that wants to change party policy on Israel.

Currently Labour policy does not support the BDS movement, but during the recent conflict between Israel and Gaza, MPs from the Socialist Campaign Group called for an arms embargo against Israel.  

The move also comes amid growing protests outside British companies that are involved with Israel.

Introducing the Bill with a video on Twitter, Mr Burgon said: “Over the last five years the Conservative Government has approved hundreds of millions of pounds or arms sales to Israel.  Those arms are used in the continued persecution of the Palestinian people as we’ve seen recently in Israel’s brutal war on Palestine. That has to stop. This Bill is all about stopping it.”

The Labour MP’s video was mocked in a fake video produced by Milk Media.

The Twitter video calls Mr Burgon the “MP for Gaza” and has a voiceover in Arabic.   In the script ‘translation’, Mr Burgon says:  “As an MP I could represent all of my constituents but sadly I can’t because I’m obsessed with Jews and Israel.  And don’t get me started on the Zionists.”

The Bill would amend the 2008 Export Control Order which includes a list of countries that the UK Government does not trade arms with.   It would “prohibit the sale of arms to Israel and the purchase of arms from Israel”.

The Bill states: “The UK Government must not authorise for sale, provide licences for sale, or otherwise directly or indirectly sell or authorise the sale of, any arms to Israel.

“Any arms export licence that includes Israel as a destination for sale from the UK is revoked insofar as it applies to Israel.

“No new arms export licence that includes Israel as a destination for sale from the UK may be created.”

The Bill defines Israel as including “Israeli military, police and border police”.  It has been co-sponsored by Green MP Caroline Lucas, Plaid Cymru MP Liz Saville Roberts and SNP MP Tommy Sheppard.   No date is yet scheduled for Second Reading.