UK Stops Opposing ICC’s Netanyahu Arrest Warrant, Considers Restricting Arms Sales to Israel

This is big news, one would think.

Of course… it’s all going to change when Trump takes office.

Trump-Bowman 24 has promised unlimited aid to Israel, and although at least Bowman has expressed skepticism of a US invasion of Iran, they’ve both said they will give Israel unlimited weapons to fight a war with Iran.

The UK will be dragged along for the ride, whether they like it or not.

The Guardian:

Labour has announced its biggest step yet in overhauling the UK’s approach to the Middle East, dropping its opposition to an international arrest warrant against Benjamin Netanyahu despite pressure from Washington not to do so.

Downing Street announced on Friday that the government would not submit a challenge to the jurisdiction of the international criminal court, whose chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, is seeking a warrant against the Israeli prime minister.

The move makes it more likely that the ICC will now grant Khan’s request, in what would be a stunning international rebuke for Israel over the way it has conducted the war in Gaza and put Netanyahu at risk of arrest if he travels abroad.

It also reverses months of British policy after the previous government was steadfast in its support of Israel and its desire to stick closely to the US position.

Ministers are expected to announce further changes within days, including the results of a review of Israel’s compliance with international law. The foreign secretary, David Lammy, has also signalled that he is considering banning some arms sales to Israel.

Yeah.

“Some.”

Whatever that means.


This new UK position is not that different from what Biden was trying to do. Biden did say he would oppose the ICC warrant, but that’s totally irrelevant. It’s maybe symbolic.

The Biden agenda was “let’s keep sending Israel everything they want while also going around saying we don’t really like doing that.”

There are similar pressures in the UK, where no one can really understand why Israel has this blank check to murder everyone.

Trump, conversely, is able to lean into macho type rhetoric, drawing on facile racism against Moslems, in order to promote unlimited support for Israel.