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British diplomat resigns over arms sales to Israel
Mark Smith, a counter-terrorism official based at the British embassy in Dublin, said he had resigned after making numerous internal complaints, including through an official whistleblowing mechanism, but receiving nothing but pro-forma responses, The Guardian reported.
Smith said he had previously worked in Middle East arms export licensing assessment for the government and “each day” colleagues were witnessing “clear and unquestionable examples” of war crimes and breaches of international humanitarian law by Israel in Gaza.
He said that senior members of the Israeli cabinet and military have expressed open genocidal intent, Israeli soldiers take videos deliberately burning, destroying and looting civilian property.
“Over half of Gaza’s homes and over 80% of Gaza’s commercial properties have been damaged or destroyed.”
“Whole streets and universities have been demolished, humanitarian aid is being blocked and civilians are regularly left with no safe quarter to flee to. Red Crescent ambulances have been attacked, schools and hospitals are regularly targeted. These are war crimes.”
He said there was “no justification for the UK’s continued arms sales to Israel, yet somehow it continues”.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said it could not comment on an individual case, but that the government was committed to upholding international law. The Labour government has pledged to review the policy of arms sales to Israel, but has so far not come to any decision.
The foreign secretary, David Lammy, has said it may continue to allow the sale of defensive weapons but cut off the flow of offensive weapons being used in Gaza. He said it was a complex judicial process. Smith said he was resigning with sadness after a long career in the Foreign Office, and that the only response he received to his complaints was to the effect of “Thank you, we have noted your concerns”.
Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the Palestinian Territories, praised Smith’s move as brave, and said she hoped many more diplomats would join him.