UK lawmakers demand full arms embargo and settlement trade ban on Israel

Eighty UK MPs and peers urged the new prime minister to impose a full arms embargo, sanction Israel and ban trade linked to Israeli settlements.Follow us on GoogleWhile the movement to boycott Israel has called for divestment since 2005, advocacy has ramped up in many places in the last two years during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. (photo credit: (STEPHANIE KEITH/GETTY IMAGES))ByMATHILDA HELLERJULY 26, 2026 20:57A group of 80 UK MPs and peers has written to the new British prime minister asking him to impose sanctions on Israel, including a full arms embargo and a ban on trade that supports Israel’s settlements.The letter, led by MP Kim Johnson, urges the government to "decisively change its stance in order to uphold the rights of the Palestinian people and to prevent Israel's continued violation of international law."It notes that, last month, the UN Independent Commission of Inquiry report "confirmed Israel's ongoing genocide in Gaza" and urged the government to recognize this finding.The letter also draws on the Genocide Convention, which requires all signatories - including the UK - to take action to prevent genocide as soon as they become aware of a risk."The previous administration has willfully ignored the rulings of international courts. It has still failed to issue a formal response to the July 2024 International Court of Justice judgment [...] which requires Britain to cease all actions that aid or assist [Israel's] grave violations of international law."Andy Burnham delivers his inaugural speech as UK's new Prime Minister on on July 20, 2026 in London, England. (credit: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)UK lawmakers urge Burnham to break with Starmer’s Israel policy"Now is the opportunity for this government and for you, as the new Prime Minister, to truly turn a new page."Alongside recognition of the UN finding, the MPs called on the government to implement the ICJ ruling in full, impose comprehensive sanctions in Israel including a full arms embargo, and ban all trade in goods and services with Israeli settlements.The letter was signed by well-known MPs such as Diane Abbott, Jeremy Corbyn, Baroness Jenny Jones and Baroness Warsi.Johnson urges Burnham to break with Starmer’s Israel policyIn an op-ed in Labour Outlook, Johnson said that Palestine has become the "defining test" of whether the Labour Party still believes that international law applies equally to everyone."If we condemn violations in one part of the world while excusing or ignoring them elsewhere, we undermine the very rules-based international order that Britain claims to defend," she said."Burnham tells us he has a plan to renew confidence in Labour. If that renewal is to mean anything, it must begin by making a clean break with the failures of Starmerism on Palestine. If we are truly serious about turning the page, there could be no clearer place to begin."The letter is backed by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which spent the last few weeks campaigning for PM Andy Burnham to "break with Starmer’s shameful legacy" by imposing wide-ranging sanctions against Israel, including a full arms embargo, an end to all military cooperation and diplomatic support, and a total ban on all trade.Follow us on Google