It's taking too long, but at least there are gradual signs of breaks in the ranks, as stated above:
Ex-Foreign Office and Ministry of Defence official Alicia Kearns said at a Tory fundraiser that legal advice would mean the UK has to cease all arms sales to Israel without delay
www.theguardian.com
This has been going on for a while. Foreign Affairs Select committee with Alicia Kearns as Chair has been persistent in trying to get Cameron to say what advice he has had.
See here article from few months back.
Foreign secretary told MPs he had not made formal decision to continue, but papers reveal he recommended move
www.theguardian.com
Reading this and the other article Cameron comes across as slippery.
At one point saying it was not up to him as he's not a lawyer on IHL. And at other times what has emerged is that Foreign Office officials have presented him with options and it appears the final say is up to him.
One reaction to this is for Cameron to get officials to write to Israeli embassy who give them assurances that IDF are abiding by IHL.
So that's ok then. If Israeli government say it abiding by IHL Cameron accepts that as green light for continuing granting licenses.
I mean really. It's this sort of thing that is the boring detail that shows those who believe that this government supports Israel whatever it does are not conspiracy loons.
I'd say its clear that this government and Cameron have been granting arms licenses in full knowledge that they could if they want to invoke IHL concerns to halt them under the present arrangement for granting arms licenses
That it doesn't is a political decision.
But they don't publicly want to say this.
To add the Foreign Office officials historically were always a bit more sceptical of Zionism and Israel than politicians. Even back in Mandate days. .
news.un.org
