Politics
UK will not follow Germany in reversing Israel arms ban
Israel’s foreign minister said other countries should stop refusing to sell Israel weapons
November 17, 2025 17:55
Israel’s foreign minister said other countries should stop refusing to sell Israel weapons
November 17, 2025 17:55Britain will not follow Germany in removing its partial arms embargo on Israel, a Downing Street spokesperson told journalists.
On Monday, a German government spokesperson announced the reversal of a partial ban on the sale of arms to Israel that had been in effect since August 8.
According to German outlet Deutsche Welle, government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said: “The government welcomes the ceasefire in Gaza that came into effect on October 10 and which has stabilised in recent weeks … The government is returning to examining on a case-by-case basis the export of weapons and will react to further developments.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar celebrated Berlin’s decision.
“I welcome Chancellor Merz’s move to revoke the decision regarding the partial ‘embargo’. I call on other governments to adopt similar decisions, following Germany”, he said in a post on X.
However, speaking to reporters on Monday, a No10 spokesperson said there was no update to the government’s position, which was kept “under constant review”.
I welcome Chancellor Merz’s move to revoke the decision regarding the partial "embargo".
— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) November 17, 2025
I call on other governments to adopt similar decisions, following Germany
The decision to ban the sale of some arms to Israel was made in September last year.
Then-foreign secretary David Lammy told MPs that while the government “have not and could not arbitrate on whether or not Israel has breached international humanitarian law”, it had a legal duty under the Strategic Export Licensing Criterion not to grant an arms export licence “if it determines there is a clear risk that the items might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law”.
“It is with regret, that I inform the house today, the assessment I have received leaves me unable to conclude anything other than that for certain UK arms exports to Israel, there does exist a clear risk that they might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law,” he said in the Commons.
The decision, however, was criticised at the time by Kemi Badenoch, who accused Labour of making a political decision rather than a legal one.
She repeated her criticism of the government in an interview with the JC last month, saying: “I was the trade secretary. I was responsible for that, and it was quite clear that all Israel was doing was defending itself.”
The government has been criticised by anti-Israel demonstrators and some Labour MPs for exempting the sales of parts of the high-tech F-35 fighter jet from any restrictions.
Earlier this year, defence minister Luke Pollard defended the government’s position of exempting the F-35s programme, saying that the decision was “necessary” in light of the scheme’s “broader strategic role in Nato and its wider implications for international peace and security”.
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