Miliband U-turns on Israel talks
By Ian Dunt
Foreign secretary David Miliband has made a U-turn on whether Israeli-EU negotiations should be suspended over the conflict in Gaza.
Last month, Mr Miliband described Liberal Democrat demands for a suspension of negotiations on bilateral ties as “naive”, but he now appears to support the move.
Critics suggest his change of heart is based on a decision by the EU to suspend the talks, which would have established much closer ties between Israel and the EU.
“We were disappointed that the foreign secretary called our idea to do this very thing ‘naïve’ in December, but thoroughly support his U-turn now,” said Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Edward Davey.
“We must be prepared to back up this suspension with stronger measures on arms sales and pressure on Hamas, so that all parties can be in no doubt that their fighting will have negative international consequences.”
The suspension comes as the international community runs out of leverage in its attempts to enforce a ceasefire, agreed by a United Nations security council resolution last week.
Christian Aid were unimpressed with the move, and called for more stringent action.
“Christian Aid believes this is a missed opportunity; it gives the appearance of a face saving device, rather than a clear EU condemnation of the situation in Gaza,” said Janet Symes, Christian Aid’s head of Middle East Region.
“The EU cannot extend further benefits of European partnership to a government that violates international humanitarian law and refuses negotiation in favour of continued violence.”
In a related development, the Liberal Democrats called on the foreign secretary to enquire as to Israel’s use of phosphorous, after claims from the UN it was used against their aid agency in Gaza.
“The Israeli military has been claiming it is not using illegal munitions, but this appears to be damning evidence that it has been breaching international law by firing white phosphorous into civilian areas,” he said.
“No civilised country has any excuse for using this horrific weapon in built-up areas where it is bound to hit innocent civilians.”
Amensty International have written a letter to the foreign secretary calling for a complete arms embargo against Israel.
The call came as the organisation revealed that a German cargo ship carrying huge amounts of weaponry – possibly including controversial white phosphorous – has been heading for the Israeli port of Ashdod.
“We know that the Wehr Elbe, a German-owned cargo ship, left the USA on 20 December 2008 with a large consignment – 989 containers – of high explosives and other munitions,” said Amnesty’s Middle East and North Africa programme director Malcolm Smart.
“Hired and now legally controlled by the US Military Sealift Command, it is destined for the Israeli port of Ashdod and was due to transit via Greece, though its latest reported position indicates that the shipment’s route may have changed.”
In the letter to Mr Miliband, Amnesty urge the UK government to make international representations to help prevent the ship with its “vast consignment” of weapons docking in Israel. The letter also seeks assurances that no UK licences have been granted for arms, components or related technology that could be or have been used in the conflict in Gaza.
Last week Amnesty pointed to evidence that specially-designed engines for pilotless military aerial vehicles used by Israeli forces to target air strikes may be of UK origin.
Liberal democrat leader Nick Clegg had called for a suspension of the planned EU-Israeli cooperation upgrade on December 30th last year.
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