JERUSALEM: Britain has revoked five Israeli arms export licenses over the Gaza war, blocking the supply of replacement parts to navy gunships used in the offensive, officials and reports said on Monday.
“The Foreign Office told the Israeli Embassy in London last week that following a decision by Parliament, Great Britain will stop the sale of certain arms” to Israel, an official told AFP. The move came after the British government reviewed all 182 licenses for arms exports to Israel and ultimately decided to cancel five, which cover spare parts for Saar missile boats, said the Haaretz daily.
By participating in the Gaza war, the boats “violated the security agreements between Britain and Israel, which specify what uses may be made of British equipment,” Haaretz quoted the British directive as saying.
The British Embassy in Israel said in a statement that there is “no partial arms embargo on Israel” as such a move would not improve the current situation in the Middle East.
“In light of Operation Cast Lead, and in line with our obligations after a conflict, we conducted a review of extant export licenses for Israel,” it said.
“Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman brushed off the sanctions, telling public radio: “We’ve had many embargoes in the past... We can manage. This shouldn’t bother us.” Israel launched its devastating three-week war on Gaza in December.
More than 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed in the offensive that has been widely criticized around the globe.
Meanwhile,Lieberman fanned the flames of a diplomatic feud on Monday when he cast doubt on the right of President Mahmoud Abbas to represent the Palestinians.
“The more Abu Mazen’s authority and legitimacy decline, the more he increases his demands and the more rigid he becomes in his attitude,” Lieberman told Israeli public radio, referring to Abbas by his nickname.
“Today you have Fatah land in Judea and Samaria (the Hebrew name for the occupied West Bank) and Hamastan in Gaza,” Lieberman told Israeli radio, referring to Abbas’s Fatah party and the Hamas movement ruling Gaza.
Lieberman’s comments drew an angry response from the Palestinian leadership, which accused him of using “diversion tactics” to mask Israel’s failure to halt settlement building in the West Bank.
“Israel’s foreign minister is hoping to deflect attention away from Israel’s refusal to implement its obligations,” Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erakat said.
Israel on Monday rejected a European Union call for the United Nations to recognize a Palestinian state by a certain deadline even if Israel and Palestinians fail to agree on a peace deal.
A peace agreement can come only following direct negotiations and cannot be imposed,” Lieberman told public radio.
