British Government Freezes 50 Export Licenses for Israeli Military

Britain’s Middle East minister, Stephen Doughty, announced Tuesday that the government had decided to freeze approximately 50 licenses granted to companies in the country for exporting military equipment to Israel. His remarks were published in the British Jewish newspaper “The Jewish Chronicle.”

As a reminder, two years ago, in September 2024, Britain began restricting export licenses to the IDF. At the time, approximately 30 licenses were frozen under then-Foreign Secretary David Lammy. Middle East Minister Doughty said he personally reviewed every license, and that the stricter policy now also includes a requirement to examine the legality of Israel’s presence in the territories, “the legality of the occupation,” in his words, alongside compliance with the requirements of international humanitarian law.

Despite the expanded restrictions, shipments for the F-35 fighter jet production program were exempted, due to “national security considerations and commitments to allies.” Doughty defended the continued supply of spare parts for the aircraft, arguing that stopping them would “critically harm” the broader security framework in Europe.

Emily Thornberry, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the British Parliament, criticized the policy, arguing that it was a political rather than legal decision. She suggested adopting the Dutch model: marking a box of components in shipments to the United States as items that must not be used in aircraft intended for Israel.