Oliver Dowden has accused Israel of making “big mistakes” during the conflict in Gaza and insisted the UK government is “holding them to a very high standard”.
Speaking to Sky News’ Trevor Phillips on the six month anniversary of the 7 October attacks, the deputy prime minister insisted the UK was not giving Benjamin Netanyahu’s government “carte blanche” over its actions, and was having “robust conversations” with them – especially in light of the killing of three UK aid workers last week.
But he said the Jewish community were living in “a state of existential threat” since the Hamas attacks, and we should understand “the trauma it is still suffering”.
Politics live: Dowden denies giving ‘carte blanche’ to Israel
Mr Dowden also accused people of “relishing” the debate over whether the UK should continue to sell arms to Israel and publish its legal advice amid growing criticism of its conduct in Gaza and questions about whether it has breached international law.
He refused to reveal the advice given to the government, saying it was an “ongoing process” and it would remain “confidential”.
But the deputy prime minister said any halt in sales was a decision for Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch, on the advice of Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron, and he had “not changed [his] advice” yet.
Mr Dowden told Trevor Phillips: “We have a process to go through in respect of arms… [but] it does worry me, and I want to chose my words carefully ,but the manner in which some people are seizing on this issue and trying to hold Israel to incredibly high standards.
“Of course it is right we hold Israel to high standards, but I just think there is a bit of relish from some people about the way in which they are pushing this case against Israel.”
Asked if he meant there was a level of antisemitism in the debate, Mr Dowden said: “I wouldn’t go so far as that.
“But I think it goes right back to the beginning point. I think there are many people in the Jewish community, in Israel, who have just been expecting this shift in approach to Israel.
“We should think back to how Israel was on the day of that attack, the trauma it is still suffering. Of course Israel has made mistakes and made big mistakes and we should hold them to account for that, but we are holding them to a very high standard.”
The interview came as Lord Cameron wrote an article for the Times newspaper, suggesting the UK’s support for Israel was not unconditional.
He said there was “no doubt where the blame lies” over the deaths of British aid workers, adding “this must never happen again”, as international pressure continues to build on Mr Netanyahu.
But in a letter to Lord Cameron, shadow foreign secretary David Lammy accused him of “dodging scrutiny”, calling for him to break with convention and appear in the Commons – rather than the Lords – to face questions from MPs, and to publish the government’s legal advice over the conflict.
Also speaking to Trevor Phillips, Mr Lammy said: “It is important to remember that there are well over 100 hostages, some might not be alive, in Gaza and this story begin with that horrific event on 7 October.
“But as we sit here six months later, I think it is important to reaffirm that a life lost is a life lost, whether that is a Muslim or a Jew. Far too many people have died, 33,000 now, many women, many children and I think it is serious when we have senior judges who are on our Supreme Court who raise issues about the clear risk of breaches in international law, a former head of MI6 says the same.
“I have said that I have serious concerns about a breach in international humanitarian law in regards to this and it is for that reason that I am asking David Cameron to be very clear and to publish the legal advice, because this is serious for the British people because it would mean that we are complicit in that action.”