DOZENS of MPs have called for Foreign Secretary David Lammy to face parliament over allegations he “misled” the public about Labour allowing weapons exports to Israel.
The Israeli government has been credibly accused of committing genocide in Gaza by international experts including Amnesty International, and its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is wanted for arrest by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity.
In order to avoid complicity in breaches of international law, Labour suspended 30 of around 350 arms export licences to Israel in September 2024, with Lammy claiming the remaining licences – other than parts for F-35 jets – related to equipment that was “defensive in nature” and would not be used in Gaza.
However, a report published this week, from Palestinian Youth Movement, Progressive International, and Workers for a Free Palestine, has called Lammy’s claims into question.
The research used Israeli tax authority import data and found that, since September 2024, a total of 8630 items were exported from the UK under the category “bombs, grenades, torpedoes, mines, missiles and similar munitions of war and parts thereof – other”.
Four shipments were also made after September of 146 items under a customs code identified as “tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, motorised, whether or not fitted with weapons, and parts of such vehicles”.
Now, more than 40 MPs have signed a letter calling for the Foreign Secretary to answer to Parliament about the allegations that he “misled” the public and Commons.
“We respectfully request that you come before the House to respond to the very serious allegations in this report, including the allegation that Parliament and the public have been misled about arms exports to Israel,” it says.
John McDonnell, the former Labour shadow chancellor, previously said that it would be a resigning matter if Lammy had lied.
Speaking to ITV, he said the Foreign Secretary was accused of an “extremely serious breach of the Ministerial Code”.
McDonnell added: “He is accused of misleading MPs in statements he has made to the House and MPs across parties will not stop demanding that he comes before the House to respond and prove that he has not misled us in any of his statements.”
A UK Government spokesperson said: “This Government has suspended relevant licences for the IDF [Israel Defence Forces] that might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza.
“Of the remaining licences for Israel, the vast majority are not for the Israeli Defence Forces but are for civilian purposes or re-export. The only exemption is the F-35 programme due to its strategic role in NATO and wider implications for international peace and security.
"Any suggestion that the UK is licensing other weapons for use by Israel in the war in Gaza is misleading.”
