Recent developments have seen international human rights organizations, alongside pro-Palestinian legal groups, mounting efforts to alter the arms policies of Denmark and the United Kingdom. While Denmark has previously rejected proposals to halt arms transfers to Israel, the newly elected Labour government in the UK has indicated it may soon consider a ban on arms sales to Israel.

These legal efforts are part of a broader campaign led by pro-Palestinian and human rights organizations across Europe, which has intensified since the outbreak of the conflict in Gaza. Key players in this movement include prominent groups like Al-Haq, Amnesty International, Oxfam, and Human Rights Watch, all of whom are collaborating with local pro-Palestinian organizations in various countries.

One significant success for this alliance occurred in the Netherlands, where a court ruled in February to block the supply of spare parts for F-35 aircraft to Israel, citing concerns that this could implicate the Netherlands in potential war crimes in Gaza. Similarly, in France, a legal coalition managed to prevent individuals associated with Israeli defence industries from participating in the Eurosatory arms exhibition through a court ruling in June.

While several European countries, including Italy, Spain, and Belgium, have voluntarily suspended defence exports to Israel amid the ongoing conflict, Denmark has maintained a relatively pro-Israeli stance. This position is partly due to Denmark’s recent purchase of advanced weapons systems from Israel and its close ties with the United States. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen have both publicly stated that Israel has the right to defend itself. Frederiksen has also spoken out in defence of the Jewish community in Denmark following pro-Palestinian demonstrations that escalated into anti-Semitic incidents.

In late May, the Danish Parliament overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to halt the transfer of weapons and security equipment to Israel, with 84 members opposing the measure and only 11 supporting it. The debate in Denmark primarily revolves around the export of parts for F-35 aircraft that are produced or stored in the country and have been supplied to the Israeli Air Force in recent months.

Despite the rejection of a previous petition, a new legal challenge has been filed in a civil court in Copenhagen. The petition argues that continuing to export F-35 parts to Israel could implicate Denmark in potential war crimes, in violation of its international obligations. Foreign Minister Rasmussen has responded forcefully, asserting that Danish courts have no authority to determine the legitimacy of government actions related to arms exports. He also emphasized that Denmark is not responsible for exporting weapons that may violate international law.

Amnesty International, however, contends that Danish courts do have a role in ensuring that government policies comply with international law. The Danish government’s legal stance is that such organizations lack the standing to sue it in court, and the Foreign Ministry has called for the recent lawsuit to be dismissed outright.

In the UK, the Global Legal Action Network, alongside the aforementioned human rights organizations, has filed a petition with the Supreme Court, seeking an immediate halt to all military exports to Israel. The petition is largely focused on the export of spare parts for F-35 aircraft, citing allegations of war crimes and violations of international law in Gaza. The petitioners plan to present testimony from Western doctors who have worked in Gaza, as well as from local families impacted by Israeli airstrikes, during the court hearing scheduled between October 8 and 10.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who has visited Israel multiple times since taking office in July, has launched a “new legal investigation” to assess whether Israel is committing or is suspected of committing war crimes in Gaza. Lammy has indicated that a positive finding from this investigation would likely lead to the UK government imposing an arms embargo on Israel.

Recent reports in the British media have suggested that the UK’s Department for International Trade has already begun freezing arms export requests to Israel, citing the ongoing review of the situation. However, the British government has publicly stated that there has been no change in its export policy towards Israel.

Main article photo: F-35 arrives in Israel after being purchased from Lockheed Martin (photo credit: LOCKHEED MARTIN)