In a recent court ruling, a coalition of nonprofits faced defeat in their bid to halt the U.K. from exporting fighter jet components to Israel, as judges asserted the matter rests with government officials rather than the judiciary.
Nonprofits Fail in Legal Effort to Stop U.K. Fighter Jet Parts Exports to Israel
Nonprofits Fail in Legal Effort to Stop U.K. Fighter Jet Parts Exports to Israel
Legal proceedings indicate that the British government retains authority over arms exports, despite calls for humanitarian accountability.
The article text:
A group of nonprofit organizations has encountered a setback in their legal efforts to block Britain's export of fighter jet parts to Israel. A ruling delivered on Monday by judges determined that such critical decisions should remain within the purview of the government instead of being adjudicated in court.
The backdrop to this legal challenge began in September of the previous year when the British government temporarily suspended arms sales to Israel, reviewing existing licenses and determining that a portion of the military supplies, particularly 30 out of 350 active licenses, could potentially enable severe breaches of international humanitarian law. However, licenses related to components for the F-35 combat aircraft, utilized by Israel and other allied nations, were still deemed permissible, with officials arguing that the ongoing F-35 program is vital for international security interests.
Organizations like Al-Haq, a Palestinian advocacy group based in the West Bank, along with the Global Legal Action Network from London, spearheaded the legal challenge against the ongoing shipment of F-35 parts. They received support from prominent entities such as Amnesty International, Oxfam, and Human Rights Watch.
During a recent four-day court session held at the High Court in England and Wales, attorneys representing these charitable organizations contended that supplying F-35 components to Israel contravenes Britain's obligations to uphold the Geneva Conventions, prevent genocide, and curb the transfer of arms that could facilitate civilian attacks.
Despite the grave implications raised during the hearings, the High Court ruled on Monday that it was beyond their jurisdiction to determine whether Israel's actions in Gaza qualified as genocide or war crimes. Consequently, decisions regarding the continuation of the F-35 program with Israel were relegated to the discretion of government ministers.
A group of nonprofit organizations has encountered a setback in their legal efforts to block Britain's export of fighter jet parts to Israel. A ruling delivered on Monday by judges determined that such critical decisions should remain within the purview of the government instead of being adjudicated in court.
The backdrop to this legal challenge began in September of the previous year when the British government temporarily suspended arms sales to Israel, reviewing existing licenses and determining that a portion of the military supplies, particularly 30 out of 350 active licenses, could potentially enable severe breaches of international humanitarian law. However, licenses related to components for the F-35 combat aircraft, utilized by Israel and other allied nations, were still deemed permissible, with officials arguing that the ongoing F-35 program is vital for international security interests.
Organizations like Al-Haq, a Palestinian advocacy group based in the West Bank, along with the Global Legal Action Network from London, spearheaded the legal challenge against the ongoing shipment of F-35 parts. They received support from prominent entities such as Amnesty International, Oxfam, and Human Rights Watch.
During a recent four-day court session held at the High Court in England and Wales, attorneys representing these charitable organizations contended that supplying F-35 components to Israel contravenes Britain's obligations to uphold the Geneva Conventions, prevent genocide, and curb the transfer of arms that could facilitate civilian attacks.
Despite the grave implications raised during the hearings, the High Court ruled on Monday that it was beyond their jurisdiction to determine whether Israel's actions in Gaza qualified as genocide or war crimes. Consequently, decisions regarding the continuation of the F-35 program with Israel were relegated to the discretion of government ministers.
