UK faces legal proceedings over relations with Israel
Al-Haq, an independent Palestinian human rights group, is initiating legal proceedings against the British government today over its relations with Israel.
Public Interest Lawyers (PIL) acting for al-Haq, is applying for a judicial review at the Royal Courts of Justice in London regarding the refusal by Foreign Secretary David Miliband, Defense Secretary John Hutton and Business Secretary Lord Mandelson to comply with international law.
"The UK has clear international law obligations to do something effective to stop Israel's attacks on Palestinian civilians," said PIL's human right solicitor, Phil Shiner (pictured).
"It must cooperate with other states using all lawful means to bring the situation to an end and it must stop giving aid and assistance to Israel," Shiner said.
He said this means that the UK's continuing policy of arms trading with Israel is "completely out of bounds, as is our role in continuing with the EU preferential trading agreement."
The historical case is aimed to make the UK government focus on its legal obligations, beyond what PIL described as "ineffective hand-wringing pleas for Israel to behave properly, which, to date, have fallen on deaf ears."
The UK's international obligations with regard to the attacks on civilians in Gaza were said to include "not rendering aid or assistance to Israel or recognizing the illegal situation it has created in Gaza, and to cooperating with other states using all lawful means to bring the situation to an end."
Shawan Jabarin, general director of al-Haq, said that considering UK's historical role in the region and its continued arms sales to Israel, the human rights organization was coming to London with the belief that Britain's judicial system will provide "at the very least, hope for the Palestinian people and again provide meaning to the principle of justice and international law."
PIL has previously brought legal action against the British government to end its arms sales to Israel, which are seen as in breach of its own criteria not to sell military equipment that could be used for internal repression of external aggression.
