Senior British Diplomat Mark Smith Resigns Over UK’s Arms Sales to Israel

Not in Our Name: The UK’s Complicity in Gaza’s Genocide

The relentless assault on Gaza has now claimed over 40,000 lives, a staggering toll that lays bare the utter moral bankruptcy of Western governments. Their spineless failure to bring meaningful pressure on Israel to end this carnage isn’t just cowardice – it’s outright complicity in genocide.

Now, in a rare act of conscience, a senior British diplomat has resigned in protest over the UK’s continued arms sales to Israel. Mark Smith, formerly of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, has had enough of the government’s hypocritical nonsense about “robust and transparent” arms export licensing. In a scathing resignation letter, he’s called out the UK’s potential complicity in war crimes.

Smith’s letter details his mounting unease with the UK’s arms export practices. He argues persuasively that the government’s claims of maintaining a “robust and transparent” arms export licensing regime are nothing but a smokescreen. His concerns over potential breaches of international humanitarian law were summarily dismissed by the department, leaving him no recourse but to tender his resignation.

“I can no longer carry out my duties in the knowledge that this Department may be complicit in war crimes,” Smith wrote, his words a stinging rebuke to his former employers. He describes the ongoing violence in Gaza as unambiguous examples of war crimes, accusing Israel of acts that flagrantly violate international humanitarian law.

The top diplomat also revealed that he had attempted to raise his concerns through official channels, including “an official whistle-blowing investigation,” but to no avail. He describes witnessing “clear and unquestionable examples of war crimes” in Gaza, with Israeli officials openly expressing “genocidal intent.” Yet, his attempts to raise concerns were met with bureaucratic indifference – a polite “thanks for your input, now bugger off.” Nevertheless, Smith urged the FCDO to change course, expressing hope that “we can look back on history and be proud.”

Smith’s letter paints a damning picture of a government wilfully ignoring evidence of war crimes. He writes, “Every day we witness clear and unquestionable examples of war crimes and breaches of international humanitarian law in Gaza perpetrated by the state of Israel.” He goes on to detail horrific acts: “Senior members of the Israeli government and military have expressed open genocidal intent, Israeli soldiers take videos deliberately burning, destroying, and looting civilian property and openly admit to the rape and torture of prisoners.”

UK Diplomacy and Gaza’s War Crimes

The scale of destruction in Gaza is almost beyond comprehension. Over half of Gaza’s homes and more than 80% of commercial properties have been damaged or destroyed. Hospitals, schools, and universities lie in ruins. Humanitarian aid is systematically blocked, leaving civilians with nowhere safe to flee. These are not the collateral damage of a justified conflict; these are, as Smith unequivocally states, war crimes.

Yet, in the face of this overwhelming evidence, the UK government continues to authorise arms sales to Israel. Ministers cling to the claim that the UK has “one of the most robust and transparent arms exporting license regimes in the world.” Smith, with his insider knowledge, dismisses this as “the opposite of the truth.” His attempts to raise concerns through official channels, including a whistleblowing investigation, were met with nothing more than a perfunctory “thank you, we have noted your concerns.”

The government’s stance becomes even more untenable in light of recent developments. Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, is reportedly seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. The charges under consideration include the use of starvation as a weapon of war, murder, extermination, and intentional attacks on civilians. That such accusations are being levelled against the leader of a supposedly democratic nation should give us all pause.

While the move to seek arrest warrants for Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders offers a glimmer of hope in these dark times, it will only send a clear message when acted upon – that even the powerful cannot act with impunity forever. However, words and legal manoeuvres provide cold comfort to those huddled in fear in Gaza tonight. The West’s continued military support for Israel, in the face of overwhelming evidence of war crimes, is nothing short of complicity in genocide.

Even as the ICC moves to hold Israeli leadership accountable, the United States prepares to give Israel $3.5 billion in military aid. This unconscionable act of arming a nation engaged in what many are calling genocide flies in the face of all notions of justice and human rights.

The UK’s Hypocrisy: Arms Sales and the Gaza Genocide

The UK’s role in this tragedy, while smaller in scale, is no less morally reprehensible. Since 2008, the UK has licensed arms worth over £574 million to Israel, according to data compiled by the Campaign Against Arms Trade. This includes £185 million in military technology, £136 million for aircraft, helicopters and drones, and £30 million in grenades, bombs and missiles. While former Defence Secretary Grant Shapps attempted to downplay these figures, claiming UK exports to Israel are “relatively small” at £42 million in 2022, the reality is that any amount of arms sold to a nation committing such atrocities is too much.

And what of this new Labour government? Following his visit to Israel and the occupied West Bank in July, Foreign Secretary Lammy told the House of Commons, during a motion calling for the immediate suspension of export licences for arms to Israel, that Israel was “surrounded by people who would see its annihilation”.

“For those reasons, it would not be right to have a blanket ban between our country and Israel; what is right is for me to consider in the normal way the issues in relation to offensive weapons in Gaza, following the quasi-judicial process that I have outlined.”

Lammy was also pressed by other MPs during the session on July 19 to publish the government’s assessment on any IHL breaches since the October 7 Hamas attack, which, despite his own earlier calls for the former Tory government to do so. Of course now in power, the Labour government has not done.

These statements and actions from the Labour government reveal a disturbing continuity with their predecessors’ policies, demonstrating a willingness to prioritise geopolitical considerations over human rights and international law. The failure to publish assessments of potential IHL breaches is particularly troubling, as it suggests a deliberate attempt to avoid accountability and transparency in arms export decisions.

Dr Iain Overton, Executive Director of Action on Armed Violence, put it succinctly: “Mark Smith’s resignation is a profound indictment of the UK’s arms export policies. It takes immense courage to stand up against a system complicit in the suffering of civilians, and his actions should prompt a serious reevaluation of the ethical responsibilities that come with arms trading.”

Overton’s words cut to the heart of the matter, highlighting the moral imperative that Smith’s resignation represents. It serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of our arms export policies and the urgent need for reform. The courage displayed by Smith in standing up to a system that perpetuates suffering should serve as a catalyst for change, prompting a fundamental reassessment of the UK’s role in global conflicts and its commitment to human rights.

The question we must ask ourselves is stark: what price do we put on an innocent life? More to the point, what price do we put on an entire people? The UK has suspended arms sales to Israel twice over the last two decades – in 2009 and 2014 – over its hostilities with Gaza. That we have not done so now, in the face of such overwhelming evidence of atrocities, is a damning indictment of our current government’s moral compass.

As citizens of a democracy, we cannot stand idly by while our government continues to be complicit in these atrocities. We must raise our voices, flood our MPs’ inboxes, take to the streets in peaceful protest if necessary. We must make it clear that this is not being done in our name.

Mark Smith’s brave stand should serve as a rallying cry. In his words, “I hope that we can look back on history and be proud.” Right now, we have precious little to be proud of. But it’s not too late to change course. We must demand an immediate cessation of arms sales to Israel, a robust and truly independent investigation into UK complicity in war crimes, and a fundamental reassessment of our foreign policy priorities.

The eyes of history are upon us. The lives of thousands of innocent civilians hang in the balance. We must act now, with all the moral courage we can muster, to end our nation’s complicity in this ongoing tragedy. For if we do not, we will be judged harshly by future generations, and rightly so. The time for equivocation is over. The time for action is now. Not in our name. Never in our name.

Paul Knaggs

Editor, founder, Labour Heartlands, Citizen journalist. LeFT wing political refugee. Fighting a constant struggle with dyslexia that’s overcome with a burning desire to speak out against the corrupt political system and the social injustices it creates. Advocate for Free speech and open, accountable, democracy. #GTTO