Israel Arms Licenses Revoked By Britain

JERUSALEM — Britain has revoked several licenses granted to British companies to sell weapons parts to Israel because of concerns over their use in Israel's recent war in the Gaza Strip, British and Israeli officials said Monday.

The decision, which an Israeli official said applied to parts for missile boats, does not appear to affect Israel's military capabilities significantly. But it was symbolic given the international outcry against the Israeli military's conduct during the three-week war early this year. While recognizing Israel's right to defend itself, Britain has characterized Israeli actions during the bruising war as "disproportionate."

An Israeli official said Britain canceled five licenses that applied to Saar-class missile boat parts after reviewing 182 licenses in all. He had no further details on what parts were at issue, and spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss Britain's decision.

Saar boats fired missiles and artillery shells at targets along Gaza's coast and as cover for ground operations during Israel's three-week war against the territory's Hamas rulers, which the military termed Operation Cast Lead. The operation was meant to quell eight years of militant rocket and mortar barrages on southern Israel.

In London, a spokeswoman for Britain's Foreign Office confirmed a "small number" of export licenses were revoked, but added that there was "no partial U.K. arms embargo on Israel."

After reviewing export licenses after the Gaza fighting, "we judged that in a small number of cases Israeli action in Operation Cast Lead would result in the export of those goods now contravening" EU and British arms-export licensing criteria. "These licenses have been revoked," the spokeswoman said.

The Foreign Office did not specify how many licenses were reviewed or revoked, or which companies held the licenses.

Britain has revoked or rejected arms-exporting licenses to Israel in the past, Israeli and British officials said. Britain is not a major Israeli defense supplier.

There was no comment from the Israeli military or from the Defense Ministry, which oversees military purchases.

The war provoked an international uproar because of the high civilian death toll it exacted and the large-scale destruction it wrought. More than 1,400 Palestinians, including more than 900 civilians, were killed, thousands of homes were destroyed and Gaza's infrastructure suffered heavy damage, according to Gaza health officials and human rights groups.

Israel says about 1,100 Palestinians were killed and that the overwhelming majority were militants, though it has not backed up that claim with documented proof. Thirteen Israelis also died.

International human rights groups have said Israel's overwhelming use of force violated international laws of war _ an allegation it denies. Rights groups have also accused Hamas of war crimes for allegedly using civilian areas for cover to carry out attacks and firing rockets indiscriminately into civilian areas.

Comments

[Aussieposter]

StCuthbert wrote

“What other groups of refugees in the world have a "right of return"?

Please Read
U.N. Resolution 194

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

Fourth Geneva Convention Article 49

[Paul Hackett]

united4all said:

"Paul, where did you learn your history? Obviously, not from legitimate history books."

-----------------
The only source which claims that Israel existed as some sort of 'nation' in the modern sense of the word is the Bible (in the Book of Samuel). Perhaps this is what united4all is speaking of when he mentions legitimate history books.

It has been shown that the Book of Samuel was written long after the events it depicts and textual analysis of it has shown that it is was created by combining several other contradictory accounts of this period. The archaelogical record and other forms of scientific analysis have shown that the Bible's account is a fabrication. Jerusalem at the time of David for instance, was little more than a village.

If you're interested in finding out about the actual history of ancient Israel, rather than religious and tribal propoganda check out The Bible Unearthed written by Israel Finkelstein, Professor of Archaeology at Tel Aviv University, and Neil Asher Silberman, a contributing editor to Archaeology Magazine:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bible_Unearthed

[BubbaC33]

Wikipedia is hardly a legitimate source, no academic entity accepts it as a source.
If you are interesting in finding out something about the history of the region and the history of Israel perhaps ypu should watch The Naked Archaeologist.

[MemoryAlpha]

Interesting Dichotomy:
Wikipedia is not a legitimate source but a cable news program by an Israeli is.

[Paul Hackett]

The article is just a summary of a widely reviewed and well respected book co-written by the Professor of Archaelogy at Tel Aviv University and the editor of Archaelogy Magazine. The books discusses the best current scientific understanding of the history of Israel.

I guess that since you obviously can't argue against the facts prsented in Finkelstein' and Silberman's book then disparaging the fact that I linked to a summary of it on Wikipedia is probably your best line of attack. Otherwise you will have to resort to citing the Bible as your great historical source. Nice try though (not really).

[phute]

The Naked Archaeologist - poor shout.

[Paul Hackett]

Here is a reference to an article written by another professor at Tel Aviv University (Shlomo Sand) who also wrote a book summarizing the scientific reasons to believe that Israel never existed as a nation state:

http://www.thenational.ae/article/20081006/FOREIGN/279853798

From the article:

"Dr Sand argues that the idea of a Jewish nation – whose need for a safe haven was originally used to justify the founding of the state of Israel – is a myth invented little more than a century ago.

An expert on European history at Tel Aviv University, Dr Sand drew on extensive historical and archaeological research "

[TheFriendlyAtheist]

Thanks for the tip. I'll have to get Dr. Sands book when it comes out.

[rnb4]

The Sand "book" was demolished in a review in Haaretz, of all places,
by Professor Israel Bartel from the Hebrew University

The review is a bit long but worth reading in full. It follows here:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/999386.html

[Darwin256]

That was good, thanks.

[rnb4]

This an excerpt from an interview with Israel finkelstein. he feels that Israel's legitimacy is not at all compromised over a debate of whether israelite history started in the 10 century BCE or the 9th century bce. http://prophetess.lstc.edu/~rklein/Documents/grounds.htm

Aren't you concerned that your theory will serve those who deny the Zionist argument?

"The debate over our right to the land is ridiculous. As though there is some international committee in Geneva that considers the history of peoples. Two peoples come and one says, `I have been here since the 10th century BCE,' and the other says, `No, he's lying, he has only been here since the ninth century BCE.' What will they do - evict him? Tell him to start packing? In any event, our cultural heritage goes back to these periods, so this whole story is nonsense. Jerusalem existed and it had a temple that symbolized the longings of the Judahites who lived here, and afterward, in the period of Ezra and Nehemiah, of the Jews. Isn't that enough? How many peoples go back to the ninth or 10th centuries BCE? And let's say that there was no exodus from Egypt and that there was no great and magnificent united monarchy, and that we are actually Canaanites. So in terms of rights, we are okay, aren't we?"

[Darwin256]

Israel Finkelstein is an extremist.

An ancient claim gives Zionists the right to ethnically cleanse more than 500,000 Palestinians.

I don't think so.

[mark67nyc]

Bravo!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!! Well done.

[Academic]

A propaganda excercise for international public consumption. How come we Brits haven't heard about it and we live in the UK?

Professor Dr. Stanley Collymore.

[NeoStar9]

Well done Britain. Well done.

[OldSchoolLiberal]

one day Israel will cut off sales to Britain and France.

[MemoryAlpha]

Observation:
It may coincide nicely with the upcoming boycotts.

[BubbaC33]

How many times have you failed to admit a mistake in this discussion?

[ChristopherAtom]

Really? Unspecified boat parts. I bet there is a bunch of back patting going on in London. This empty gesture is a tiny drop of token justice in a churning ocean of corruption.

[popart]

too bad america won't stop selling arms to Israel....or funding their war effort...

[Aussieposter]

I have noticed a number of comments from U.S. Posters hopeful the U.S. Will adopt a simular policy.

Allow me to present a method where hopefully this could happen.

1 The agreement with the U.S. and Israel is that the arms supplied by the U.S. can only be used in self-defence, for which you could also read pre-emptive self-defence.

2. The Israeli settlements on the West Bank are considered illegal by most governments and legal authorities throughout the world. Most courts consider the bulldozing of buildings and the seizure of land by force as acts of aggression.

3. A Supreme Court injunction of the federal government from supplying Israel with further military aid while these acts of aggression are continuing. (Close down and remove west bank settlements)
Would have the same effect. To Hamas I would suggest that money spent on this sort of project would provide better results than a ton of explosive. It would also allow finally the Palestinian side to be heard.

[whoa20]

Britain's policy once again: peace in our time. Gordon Brown, not only doesn't let in Geert Wilders because he surrendered to Lord Ahmed, but now this. When will Britain ever learn.

[lungfish]

Of all countries... England? The architects of all this strife? Maybe there is something good in this. Israel doesn't need more weapons given its aggression and its abuse.

[Sentientbeing09]

Go U.K

Its about time. More please.

[united4all]

I have always considered myself as a moderate. I do not march in line in support of Israel for every action. But, these postings rush to condemn Israel and its right to exist. The Jewish people were driven from their home a millenia ago and have a right to return and exist as a nation. In an ideal world, there will be peace between Jews, Christians and Muslims. Don't rush to critcize the Jews and ignore their history and rights.

[Darwin256]

Why does Israel have a right to exist as a "Jewish State"?

Isn't that a little like saying that South Africa has a right to exist as a "White State"?

Why isn't Freedom of Religion guaranteed by a Constitution good enough?

The Jewish people were driven from their homes 2000 years ago, Palestinians were driven from their homes 60 years ago by Zionist Jews.

Palestinians are not allowed to return to their homes. That right is not respected. Is that due to Israel's "right to exist"?

[united4all]

What is the official religion of Saudi Arabia and most "muslim" countries? A Jew or a Christian is not allowed to practice their faith in that country. There is freedom of religion in Israel. I don't see you accusing Saudi Arabi as the "muslim" state.

Hypocrisy abounds!!!!!!

[Paul Hackett]

"The Jewish people were driven from their homes a millenia ago and have a right to return and exist as a nation"

Wrong on every count. The Jewish diaspora occurred TWO millenia ago when the Romans made their lives difficult and they decided to quit Palestine. That's literally ancient history. And by the way, they were never a "nation" in any modern sense of the word, at the height of Jewish power in Palestine the Jews controlled a number of semi-autonomous city states which were loosely aligned together.

And you think they have somehow the right to not just return to the region but to evict the Palestinians who have been living there for two thousand years? I wouldn't like to have you as a neighbor as you obviously believe in theft.

[united4all]

Paul, where did you learn your history? Obviously, not from legitimate history books.

[punkindmb]

Please cite your references to the Jews being forced from their lands 2000 years ago! And you can't use as reference material any of those fantasy books. Sheesh

[Aussieposter]

" The Jewish state comes to an end in 70 AD, when the Romans begin to actively drive Jews from the home they had lived in for over a millenium. But the Jewish Diaspora ("diaspora" ="dispersion, scattering") had begun long before the Romans had even dreamed of Judaea. When the Assyrians conquered Israel in 722, the Hebrew inhabitants were scattered all over the Middle East; these early victims of the dispersion disappeared utterly from the pages of history. However, when Nebuchadnezzar deported the Judaeans in 597 and 586 BC, he allowed them to remain in a unified community in Babylon. Another group of Judaeans fled to Egypt, where they settled in the Nile delta. So from 597 onwards, there were three distinct groups of Hebrews: a group in Babylon and other parts of the Middle East, a group in Judaea, and another group in Egypt. Thus, 597 is considered the beginning date of the Jewish Diaspora. While Cyrus the Persian allowed the Judaeans to return to their homeland in 538 BC, most chose to remain in Babylon. A large number of Jews in Egypt became mercenaries in Upper Egypt on an island called the Elephantine. All of these Jews retained their religion, identity, and social customs; both under the Persians and the Greeks, they were allowed to run their lives under their own laws. "

http://wsu.edu/~dee/HEBREWS/DIASPORA.HTM
That non fantasy enough for you

[Darwin256]

united4all,

Islamic States are no better than Israel the "Jewish State", in fact I consider them worse, but Israel does merit special attention for a number of reasons:

Arab states did not ethnically cleanse more than 500,000 people to create a Muslim majority in Arab counties. At least not in the recent past (61 years ago). Israel did this to create a Jewish Majority State.

Islamic States are not occupying land full of people they ethnically cleansed. They are not planning to keep these people non-citizens so they can maintain an Islamic majority. Israel shows no interest in allowing right of return to Palestinians. Israel shows no interest in allowing West Bank Palestinians Israeli citizenship. In fact the possibility of doing these things is generally referred to as "National Suicide". Don't you think Jews are creative enough to write laws to protect their religious rights, even if they are in the minority?

This issue is all the more significant because in the near future there will be more Muslims between the Jordan River and the Sea than Jews.

We are talking about the Holy Land and a powder keg issue. Palestine-Israel is a special place.

Americans are told that Israel is our best ally. Arab countries are not claiming that and they do not receive a huge amount of foreign aide from America, Israel does.

[rnb4]

Islamic States are not occupying land full of people they ethnically cleansed.

Isn't this self contradictory. If the land had been ethnically cleansed, then what are all those people still doing there?

[Darwin256]

rnb4,

That is the point, there is nothing comparable to the West Bank in the Arab World.

Attacking Arab Countries to justify what Israel has done is a weak argument.

[Darwin256]

united4all and rnb4,

Neither of you have answered my questions.

[Justtellthetruth]

Its a small action, but at least its pointed in the right direction. If the US followed suit, we could help put an early end to the war on terror by cutting off funding, support and tolerance for the virtual engine of middle eastern terrorism, the settlements.

[PWM]

I agree. Israel must be held accountable for its excessive use of force.

[BubbaC33]

It is amazing how wrong Arab apologists can be. When Iraq attacked Iran it had nothing to do with Israel. When Iraq attacked Kuwait it had nothing to do with Israel. When the terrorists attacked Saudi Arabia it had nothing to do with Israel. When Syria sent an entire army group to Hama it had nothing to do with Israel. The point? Most violence in the region has no connection to Israel.

[MemoryAlpha]

Contrary Evidence:
Israel rates as the 4th most violent place in the world, exceeded only by Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1090160.html

[tanya1111]

make that "piece..." must have been wishful thinking