Starmer says Netanyahu criticism over export suspension is wrong

Sir Keir Starmer has said Benjamin Netanyahu’s disapproval of the UK Government’s determination to suspend immoderate arms export licences to Israel, amid concerns they could beryllium utilized successful usurpation of planetary humanitarian law, is wrong.

The Prime Minister rejected his Israeli counterpart’s accusation that the determination had been “misguided”, successful comments that are apt to choler Tel Aviv.

He described Israel arsenic a “very important ally” and said helium had “long respected and supported its close to self-defence” but said Britain had to comply with planetary rules.

Asked whether helium agreed with Mr Netanyahu’s intervention, Sir Keir told LBC: “No, he’s not close astir that and we person to comply with planetary instrumentality and our ain home instrumentality successful narration to that.”

The caller Labour Government has suspended astir 30 retired of a full of 350 arms export licences to Israel, aft a UK appraisal suggested they could beryllium utilized to breach planetary rules.

Sir Keir was speaking up of his United Nations debut arsenic caput of Government, portion the Middle East teeters connected the borderline of all-out war.

In a flurry of broadcast interviews earlier flying to the New York acme from the Labour enactment league successful Liverpool, Sir Keir said the concern was “very adjacent to the brink” and that the UK had to tread cautiously successful its effect to the conflict.

“I person agelong supported Israel’s close to self-defence and that has been perfectly wide and accordant with everything I’ve ever said,” helium told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“But the constituent we’re astatine present is precise adjacent to the bony and that’s wherefore we request to de-escalate.

“It doesn’t mean we locomotion distant from the problems, it doesn’t mean we don’t recognise the menace that Israel is under, which is precise real, but this escalation is getting to a constituent wherever the close happening present to bash is to de-escalate, person a ceasefire and marque definite we tin advancement successful a antithetic way.”

Internal differences wrong Labour implicit the warfare successful Gaza proved to beryllium sticking points during the party’s league successful Liverpool this weekend, wherever activists repeatedly interrupted speeches by MPs and ministers to telephone for much enactment for Palestinians.

Asked what his connection was to those successful his enactment who person urged him to find the “moral courage” to basal up to Israel, Sir Keir said: “The hostages that were taken should beryllium returned.

“We request a ceasefire and we request the opening of a process that allows humanitarian assistance to get into Gaza, de-escalation successful narration to Lebanon, and puts a ft successful the doorway for what I genuinely judge and profoundly judge is the lone mode done this successful a lasting way, which is simply a two-state solution.

“A viable Palestinian authorities alongside a harmless and unafraid Israel. We don’t person either of those astatine the moment.”