Georgia Pearce
Guest Reporter
Foreign Secretary David Lammy is "actively dangerous" it has been claimed, following his "preposterous" decision to suspend arms to Israel.
Lammy confirmed on Monday that the Labour Government will suspend 30 arms export licenses with Israel out of 350, sparking widespread criticism.
Addressing MPs in the Commons, Lammy said: "There does exist a clear risk that they might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law."
Lammy and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer have since been accused of "abandoning Israel" by former Tory leader Boris Johnson, in a scathing post on social media.
Discussing the suspension on GB News, political commentator Piers Pottinger scolded "extraordinary" Lammy for making the UK an "embarrassment internationally".
Pottinger fumed: "David Lammy is a man who's already embarrassing us internationally as such a useless Foreign Secretary.
"He's saying that we're not going to send these parts for arms in case they're used to break international humanitarian law - well, that is true of any arms deal."
Noting the recent alliance of former Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn to pro-Palestinian groups in Parliament, Pottinger argued that the arms suspension was a "political move" to "distract from Corbyn's move".
Pottinger claimed: "It's also hypothetical and preposterous. What in fact he's done is a political move, because it's no coincidence that Jeremy Corbyn has formed an alliance with pro-Palestinian groups in parliament.
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"This was announced at the same time as Corbyn announced his alliance. And I'm sure it was to unsettle and distract from Corbyn's move, and also partly to show support for the Palestinian supporters within the Labour Party."
Strongly disagreeing with Pottinger, senior political commentator Nigel Nelson branded his remarks "tosh" and argued that suspending some arms licenses is the "right way forward" for Labour.
Nelson told GB News: "The idea that this has got anything to do with Jeremy Corbyn I think is a nonsense. First of all, it doesn't matter hugely to Israel. They'll get upset about it, but less than one per cent of arms is being suspended.
"There is a definite risk of British arms being used against international humanitarian law. So it seems to me it's absolutely right to then make sure that that those components aren't used for that purpose. So a limited arms ban seems to be the right way forward."
Offering her verdict on the decision, host Nana Akua questioned why Lammy is suddenly on a "moral high chair" about Israel when the UK supplies arms to countries who "do not subscribe to international law", such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Nana argued: "We have licensing with people who don't subscribe to international law, like Qatar, who has mainly Sharia law. So why is David Lammy now postulating on his moral high chair about arms to Israel, when Qatar and other countries don't subscribe to international law? We're quite happy to supply them? This is hypocrisy."
Nelson responded: "Saudi has been a been a long standing contract, and it's not just Labour, the Tories kept it going. It keeps about 40,000 jobs going in this country.
"Which is not okay, and I would like to see us have some kind of arms embargo on Saudi."
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Lammy confirmed on Monday that the Labour Government will suspend 30 arms export licenses with Israel out of 350, sparking widespread criticism.
Addressing MPs in the Commons, Lammy said: "There does exist a clear risk that they might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law."
Lammy and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer have since been accused of "abandoning Israel" by former Tory leader Boris Johnson, in a scathing post on social media.
Discussing the suspension on GB News, political commentator Piers Pottinger scolded "extraordinary" Lammy for making the UK an "embarrassment internationally".
Pottinger fumed: "David Lammy is a man who's already embarrassing us internationally as such a useless Foreign Secretary.
"He's saying that we're not going to send these parts for arms in case they're used to break international humanitarian law - well, that is true of any arms deal."
Noting the recent alliance of former Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn to pro-Palestinian groups in Parliament, Pottinger argued that the arms suspension was a "political move" to "distract from Corbyn's move".
Pottinger claimed: "It's also hypothetical and preposterous. What in fact he's done is a political move, because it's no coincidence that Jeremy Corbyn has formed an alliance with pro-Palestinian groups in parliament.
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"This was announced at the same time as Corbyn announced his alliance. And I'm sure it was to unsettle and distract from Corbyn's move, and also partly to show support for the Palestinian supporters within the Labour Party."
Strongly disagreeing with Pottinger, senior political commentator Nigel Nelson branded his remarks "tosh" and argued that suspending some arms licenses is the "right way forward" for Labour.
Nelson told GB News: "The idea that this has got anything to do with Jeremy Corbyn I think is a nonsense. First of all, it doesn't matter hugely to Israel. They'll get upset about it, but less than one per cent of arms is being suspended.
"There is a definite risk of British arms being used against international humanitarian law. So it seems to me it's absolutely right to then make sure that that those components aren't used for that purpose. So a limited arms ban seems to be the right way forward."
Offering her verdict on the decision, host Nana Akua questioned why Lammy is suddenly on a "moral high chair" about Israel when the UK supplies arms to countries who "do not subscribe to international law", such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Nana argued: "We have licensing with people who don't subscribe to international law, like Qatar, who has mainly Sharia law. So why is David Lammy now postulating on his moral high chair about arms to Israel, when Qatar and other countries don't subscribe to international law? We're quite happy to supply them? This is hypocrisy."
Nelson responded: "Saudi has been a been a long standing contract, and it's not just Labour, the Tories kept it going. It keeps about 40,000 jobs going in this country.
"Which is not okay, and I would like to see us have some kind of arms embargo on Saudi."
Find Out More...