UK Government: Lots of Words But Little Action in the face of Genocide

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has signed a letter calling for an end to the war in Gaza - but has NOT taken substantial measures to sanction the genocidal entity. Why?

This year marks 40 years since the Live Aid concerts in the UK and US to counter global shame over the famine in Ethiopia between 1983-85.

Unlike that famine, the starvation of the people in Gaza is entirely manmade. To block aid to Gaza is a cruel punishment. To force people to scramble and beg for food is demeaning. But worse than that is that the food aid distribution system has been deadly. Children, women, men are being shot as they queue for food. Some appear to be targeted in a game where boys have the same body parts targeted on a particular day.

These are yet more crimes against humanity that the genocidal Zionist occupation (that calls itself “Israel”) has committed over the past 22 months.

So why has the British response been so muted.

Words, if deployed properly, can be like daggers - precise arguments that damage their intended target in the diplomatic arena.

But Lammy’s have been like wet flannels vaguely waved at the Netanyahu regime, rather than daggers.

Not only will they have very little impact on “Israel”, by using weak words rather than substantial actions, Lammy has done the minimum possible to address the crimes - so likely to embolden the criminals. They focus the attention on to the current government, rather than the whole occupation.

The intended target for his words is most probably the British public that is increasingly bewildered that their government seems to do nothing to end the horrors in Gaza.

This seemed to be apparent other politicians. A Conservative MP and former Home Office minister Kit Malthouse warned Lammy that he could "end up in The Hague" due to his perceived "inaction" and "cowardice" regarding the UK's complicity in Israel's actions in Gaza. Lammy’s response was that this attack was not befitting!

What actions could be taken?

There is a lot that Britain could have done:

• The UK could suspend all arms export licenses to “Israel”, including components for the F-35 fighter jets made in the US which are used in Gaza

• The UK could stop its reconnaissance flights launched from Cyprus that flight across Gaza - presumably giving vital information used by the occupation

• The UK could sanction the political and military leadership - not just peripheral settler figures in the West Bank.

• The UK could suspend its existing trade agreements with “Israel” or maintain the current halt on new free trade negotiations, citing violations of international law in Gaza and the West Bank.

• The UK could halt all arms purchases from Israel, including military equipment and technology supplied by Israeli companies like Elbit Systems, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, or Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).

• The UK could fully support International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants against “Israeli” leaders like Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, enforce them in UK jurisdiction, and back International Court of Justice (ICJ) orders to increase aid and minimize civilian casualties in Gaza. These are meant to be courts that they endorse.

• The UK could prohibit imports of goods from the whole Zionist entity, in particular settlements in the West Bank, which the UK deems illegal under international law.

• It could explicitly cite the extent of war crimes against civilians, journalists, health workers, aid workers and more besides.

• It could launch investigations and prosecutions of British nationals serving in the IOF, using the Foreign Enlistment Act 1870 and counter-terrorism legislation - in particular those involved in alleged war crimes or violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza.

• It could restrict participation in “Israel’s” Mahal program, which enables British citizens (men under 24, women under 21) with Jewish ancestry to volunteer for combat and support roles in the IDF for 18 months.

This would be more than words.

So why have they done so little.

There are few reasons which come to mind, amongst many others:

1. Strategic - The UK views “Israel” as one of its key strategic interests across the world. It has been one of the strongest supporters of the Zionist occupation since the Balfour Declaration of 1917, when Britain promised a land that wasn’t theirs to a people who were European. They, like America and Europe, view this as their satellite colony to project their interests in the Middle East. It may criticise a particular government - but will never act to undermine the occupation itself.

2. Influence of the lobby - According to Declassified some 180 of Britain’s 650 MPs in the last parliament accepted funding from pro-Israel lobby groups or individuals during their political career .

   Lammy has been associated with the Labour Friends of Israel for many years. In November 2023 he spoke alongside “Israeli” Ambassador Tzipi Hotovely at their annual dinner.

   David Mencer, a former director of LFI was once David Lammy’s unsuccessful campaign to become London mayor - and is now a spokesman who makes excuses for the genocidal occupation.

Lammy has accepted donations from pro-Israel individuals and groups, totaling £102,640 according to some sources, though Declassified UK reports £32,550 specifically from the pro-Israel lobby since 2000.

3. Links to key UK digital infrastructure - “Israel” has managed to embed itself into key elements of Britain’s digital infrastructure over the past few years. This is something that has put Britain in a vulnerable position- something they avoided with China but have allowed themselves to be hamstrung by with “Israel”.

   Over 400 Israeli tech firms operate in the UK, contributing £1 billion to the economy and 16,000 jobs, many in cybersecurity and digital infrastructure.

   In 2030 Roadmap for UK-Israel Bilateral Relations was signed by then UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, this agreement commits to deepening cooperation on cybersecurity.

   Since 2018 the UK-Israel Tech Hub based at the British Embassy in Israel hub has facilitated 175 tech partnerships that integrate Israeli innovations in AI, Internet of Things (IoT), and cybersecurity into UK systems, including public sector applications like the NHS.

   There have been allegations of overreach that claim Israeli intelligence, particularly Unit 8200, has embedded itself in UK public sector systems (e.g., Foreign Office, Home Office, NHS, MoD) through tech firms staffed by ex-military personnel eg Cellebrite’s phone-hacking tools and Elbit Systems’ intelligence-sharing with UK police.

   Elbit, Israel’s largest arms manufacturer, operates multiple UK sites and reportedly shares intelligence with UK police biweekly, raising fears of surveillance overreach. However, Elbit’s role is primarily in defense and cybersecurity, not civilian infrastructure, and its activities are subject to UK scrutiny.

The State of UK Policy

The UK government has done more to target pro-Palestine activism than it has to target the genocidal occupying power.

Actions speak louder than words - and the lack of action shows exactly how empty Lammy’s words are.

Abdul Wahid has been active in Muslim affairs in the UK for over 25 years. He has been published on the websites of Foreign Policy, Open Democracy, the Times Higher Educational Supplement, and Prospect Magazine. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AbdulWahid_X.