zvavybir :palestina:🍉 :FediPact: :Green: :masked:<p><span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://wandering.shop/@tansy" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>tansy</span></a></span> <a href="https://social.zvavybir.eu/tags/altText4You" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>altText4You</span></a>:</p><p>'<br>First page of a letter from Jeremy Corbyn from 8. Januar 2025 to Hamish Falconer, whose full address is given as follows:</p><p>"Mr Hamish Falconer MP<br>Parliamentary Under-Secretary<br>Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office<br>King Charles Street<br>SW1a 2AH"</p><p>The letter is as follows (split in two images):</p><p>"Dear Hamish Falconer MP,</p><p>I am writing in relation to the role of British army bases in Israel's continued bombardment of Gaza.</p><p>Yesterday, during an Urgent Question on Northern Gaza, I asked the following question:</p><p>"Will Britain continue supplying weapons, including parts for jet planes, and allowing the use of RAF Akrotiri as a route for weapons to go to Israel to be used to destroy life in Gaza?"</p><p>I was extremely disappointed in your response for two reasons.</p><p>Firstly, in relation to the F-35 supply chain [note: This sentence so far is printed in bold, but obviously I can't do that in the alt text], you said:</p><p>"Where it is not possible to disentangle components that might eventually end up in Israel, we have made a carve-out for the arms suspension."</p><p>I remain astounded by your government's admission that that it is making an exception to the UK's legal obligations. The Foreign Secretary has accepted the fact that F-35 jets are being used in violation of international humanitarian law. By justifying the continued licencing of F-35 jet parts, your government is admitting its complicity in war crimes.</p><p>In terms of the justification itself, your government says that owing to the "international collaborative programme", it is not possible to suspend these licences without undermining "the global F-35 supply chain that is vital for the security of the UK, or allies, and NATO". This rests on the highly implausible claim that the UK has no ability to either track where F-35 jet parts go once they leave the country or ask for guarantees that F-35 jet parts will not be used by Israel in Gaza. Please could you answer the following questions:</p><p>1. Is it the government's position that it cannot – or will not – bring the F-35 programme in line with the UK's legal obligations?</p><p>2. Is there anything the Israel government could do that would compel the government to suspend licences for F-35 jet parts?"<br>'</p><p>Alt text of other image</p><p>'<br>Second page of the same letter:<br>"Secondly, you failed to answer or acknowledge my question on the use of the British air base in Cyprus, RAF Akrotiri. [note: This paragraph was in all bold.]</p><p>My constituents deserve to know the full scale of this government's complicity and participation in genocide. Please can you tell me:</p><p>3. Is RAF Akrotiri being used as a route for weapons to go to Israel to be deployed in Gaza?</p><p>4. How many US Air Force flights have flown from RAF Akrotiri to Israel since 7 October 2023?</p><p>5. Has your government sought legal advice over the continued use of RAF Akrotiri to support Israeli military operations?</p><p>Your government will be aware that the ICC has issued arrest warrants to Israeli officials. The government should also be aware that if it knowingly sends weapons to a government whose leader is wanted for war crimes, then it is not immune to the long arm of international law.</p><p>Yours,<br>[Picture of Jeremy Corbyn's handwritten signature]<br>Rt. Hon. Jeremy Corbyn MP<br>Independent MP for Islington North"</p><p>This is followed by a section headed "Notes" that seems to be cut of:<br>«<br>UK's international obligations as laid out in the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)</p><p>Article 6(3) of the ATT Provides that: "A State Party shall not authorize any transfer of conventional arms…if it has knowledge at the time of authorization that the arms or items would be used in the commission of genocide, crimes against humanity, grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions of 1949, attacks directed against civilian objects or civilians protected as such, or other war crimes as defined by international agreements to which it is a Party<br>»<br>'</p>