Israel arms sales protest interrupts UK trade minister event

British business and trade minister Jonathan Reynolds was interrupted on Thursday by two pro-Palestinian protesters opposing arms sales to Israel who stormed the stage as he was about to speak at a think-tank event on trade, Reuters has reported.

London for a Free Palestine, one of three campaign groups which organised a rally outside Chatham House where Reynolds was speaking, said that the on-stage protest was intended to keep pressure on the government to halt all arms exports to Israel, especially of parts for F-35 fighter jets.

“They have not stopped the trade in F-35s,” shouted one individual, during the protest. One protester accused the government of being complicit in genocide.

Reynolds remained in his seat and said that Britain had suspended arms exports to Israel. In fact, last September the UK government suspended just 30 of its 350 arms export licences to Israel. At that time, it said that parts for F-35 fighters would be largely exempted because it was not possible to suspend these exports without prejudicing the jets’ entire global programme.

“We haven’t suspended F-35s because they’re integral to our national security and particularly the defence of Ukraine,” Reynolds told the protesters. Later, he told the audience that the exemption for F-35s had been announced in parliament.

“Specifically, on arms exports we have a very stringent regime which we have applied as a government, and that has led to restrictions, particularly in relation to arms exports to Israel,” added the minister.

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