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LONDON

Britain’s political leadership appears to be realigning its stance on Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, reflecting a similar shift seen in other European nations and, most importantly, the US.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Foreign Secretary David Lammy came out this week with what was the UK’s strongest condemnation yet, describing Israel’s devastating assault as “egregious” and the suffering of Palestinians as “abominable.”

However, given the UK’s staunch support to Israel – both since its inception and all throughout its war on Gaza – observers have been quick to question whether this is a genuine policy shift, or merely a calibrated response driven by legal and political pressures.

“The UK government’s recent and notable rhetorical shift … likely reflects a convergence of factors: growing domestic outrage over the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, sustained pressure from civil society and MPs across parties, and increasing concern over the UK’s global standing if it is perceived as enabling war crimes through inaction,” according to Iain Overton, executive director of Action on Armed Violence.

Even within Labour ranks, there is recognition that the leadership’s initial approach may have been both morally and strategically unsustainable.

Starmer’s support for Israel, analysts say, was partly intended to distance himself from former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and allegations of antisemitism within the party.

Despite Israel having killed nearly 54,000 Palestinians in Gaza and wounding tens of thousands more, both Starmer and Labour – up until this week – were standing by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right government.

For Ceren Kenar, a foreign affairs consultant based in London, the UK’s unflinching support to Israel over the past 18 months – a period when it was inflicting mass devastation and suffering on Gaza – is proof that the recent shift is not one simply driven by conscience.

“These people have not suddenly evolved a conscience; they’re just smelling what’s in the wind,” Kenar told Anadolu.

“Once the consensus shifts, there’s a mad rush to avoid being among the last to stand against it. The current wave of criticism is not simply a moral awakening but also a strategic calculation as public sentiment shifts rapidly.”

That shifting sentiment has hit Labour where it hurts most – the vote bank. While British Muslims have traditionally been Labour supporters, they have grown increasingly alienated by the government’s stance on Gaza, exemplified by the party’s losses in the recent local elections.

Meanwhile, within Parliament, the disquiet has spread across party lines.

Conservative MP Mark Pritchard, a longstanding Israel supporter, stunned colleagues when he declared during a recent session: “I got it wrong … I condemn Israel for what it is doing to the Palestinian people in Gaza and indeed in the West Bank … I’d like to withdraw my support right now for the actions of Israel.”

London following Washington’s line

Kenar highlighted how domestic outrage has been amplified by a remarkable shift in Britain’s traditionally cautious media.

Major editorial boards recently issued unprecedented critiques of Israel’s conduct, such as The Financial Times editorial titled “The West’s shameful silence on Gaza,” condemning Western governments’ failure to hold Israel accountable.

“These were not isolated opinion pieces, but official editorials representing the institutional positions of major newspapers … The coordinated timing and severity of these statements marked a sea change in British media coverage of the conflict,” Kenar noted.

But the most decisive external factor influencing Britain’s shift has been the changing stance of the US, the closest ally of both the UK and Israel.

By choosing not to visit Israel on his recent Gulf tour and by making decisions that run counter to Netanyahu’s preferences, Trump has granted political cover for US allies to reassess their own stances, according to Kenar.

As US-Israel tensions extend into areas such as Iran, 365bet�����������籭, and Saudi Arabia, America’s diplomatic center of gravity appears to be shifting and allies like Britain are taking note, she added.

Weapons transfers and complicity

British arms exports to Israel have been a core focus of the persistent and powerful pro-Palestine protests held in the UK since October 2023.

Campaigners have also taken the government to court, accusing it of failing to uphold its domestic and international legal obligations by supplying weapons and components used in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

While the case centers on the UK’s continued export of components for US-manufactured F-35 fighter jets, it also demands the immediate suspension of all UK arms export licenses to Israel, citing the “clear risk” that such transfers are being used to facilitate violations of international law, including potential war crimes and genocide.

“With Gaza now described as facing ‘intolerable’ suffering, the British public’s patience – and the Labour leadership’s – has clearly worn thin. While the suspension of trade talks with Israel signals political unease, it remains symbolic if not accompanied by a suspension of arms exports.”

The UK’s Strategic Export Controls framework explicitly prohibits arms sales when there is a clear risk of contributing to violations of international humanitarian law – a threshold many argue has long since been crossed.

In September 2024, following an internal review, the British government announced a partial suspension of 30 out of 350 active arms export licenses to Israel. The suspended licenses included components for drones, military aircraft, and ground targeting systems, but excluded F-35 fighter jet parts.

Israel was the largest perpetrator of civilian harm from explosive weapons in 2024, so “continuing to license arms in that context risks not only complicity, but potential breaches of the UK’s own legal framework,” Overton warned.

He added that there is a legal pathway to suspending or revoking arms licenses, either through ministerial discretion or as broader policy, but stressed that this requires significant cross-party coordination, legal counsel, and sustained civil society advocacy.

Earlier this week, the parliamentary committee overseeing UK exports summoned three ministers for an explanation about export licenses for military equipment approved after Labour’s partial arms export ban was imposed last September.

“First and foremost, we have questions about the department’s export licensing statistics released on 15 May which indicate that the UK approved licenses for £127.6 million [over $172 million] worth of military equipment to Israel in single issue licenses between October to December 2024. I understand this is greater than the combined total for 2020-23,” read a letter by Liam Byrne, chair of the business select committee, addressed to Douglas Alexander, the minister for trade policy and economic security.

Similarly, former Labour leader Corbyn will present a bill in the House of Commons on June 4 that calls for an inquiry into Britain’s role in supporting Israel’s war on Gaza, looking at “the sale, supply or use of weapons, surveillance aircraft and Royal Air Force bases,” according to a report by British newspaper The Standard.

The Defense Ministry and Foreign Office did not respond to Anadolu’s requests for a comment on the UK’s weapons and intelligence support to Israel.

Overton emphasized that London’s ambiguous moves over the issue indicate a lack of political will: “The UK has acted in the past – for instance, suspending arms to Saudi Arabia during the height of the 365bet�����������籭 conflict – and it can do so again. What’s lacking now is not the mechanism, but the will.”