British government 'has not concluded that Israel is acting with that intent' says David Lammy
The British government denounced the "utterly appalling" situation in the Gaza Strip but said it does not regard what is happening in Gaza as a genocide.
The government "has not concluded that Israel is acting with that intent," said a letter dated Sept. 1 but reported by media on Monday, citing David Lammy when he was still foreign secretary.
His letter came in response to Sarah Champion, the chair of the British Parliament’s International Development Committee, who demanded answers on how Britain's policy of the continued supply of F-35 fighter jet parts that have indirectly been sent to Israel complied with its international duty to prevent genocide.
Lammy, who is now a deputy prime minister and justice minister since Friday's Cabinet reshuffle, said the government had "carefully considered" the question of genocide.
It marked a shift in UK policy which has long pursued that the question of whether Israel had committed genocide was a matter for the courts and not for national governments to determine.
Hamish Falconer, the minister for the Middle East, said in May that it is the UK government’s longstanding position that any formal determination as to whether genocide has occurred is "a matter for a competent court, not for governments or non-judicial bodies."
However, in the letter, Lammy said that a Foreign Office assessment had concluded that Israel’s actions did not constitute genocide.
It came after more than 1,300 names in the film industry, including Oscar, BAFTA, Emmy and Cannes award winners, launched a pledge Monday saying they refuse to work with Israeli film institutions "implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people."
Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced in July that the UK will recognize the state of Palestine at the UN General Assembly later this month unless Israel takes "substantive steps" to improve the situation in Gaza and commit to a peace process.
Lammy, however noted that despite the government’s conclusion, Israel’s actions in Gaza are "utterly appalling," adding Israel "must do much more to prevent and alleviate the suffering that this conflict is causing."
He also noted that the Foreign Office had carried out several assessments on the question of genocide, including when the government decided to exempt British-made parts for the F-35 jet from the suspension of some arms export licenses to Israel.
In September last year, the British government announced that it was suspending 30 out of 350 arms export licenses to Israel following a review that found a “clear risk” that some exports could be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian law.
Israel has killed more than 64,500 Palestinians in a brutal offensive in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
