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Keir Starmer has suggested that the decision to suspend some arms sales to Israel has not impacted the UK’s relationship with the US.
Labour decided to suspend around 30 arms exports licences – out of a total of around 350 – to the Middle Eastern country last week.
It came after a government review found there was as “clear risk” of the equipment being used to break international humanitarian law in Gaza.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahusaid “shameful” move would “embolden Hamas”.
The US’s National Security Council spokesman, John Kirby, responded to the move saying the States has not determined any violation of international humanitarian law itself, and that it would continue “to do what we have to do to support Israel’s defensive capabilities”.
He added: “We’ll let other nations decide for themselves if they’re going to support Israel and to what degree. That’s what sovereignty is all about.”
And in Starmer’s first major interview since being elected into No.10, the PM denied any diplomatic tensions.
Referring to Starmer’s upcoming trip to the White House, the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg said: “Now it’s no secret that your decision to suspend some arms sales to Israel has not gone down very well across the Atlantic.
“It has not made the UK government very popular with its closest ally, the United States.”
“You’re wrong about that,” Starmer said.
“So you’re saying the US agrees with it?” The presenter replied.
The PM claimed: “We’ve been talking to the US beforehand, and afterwards, and they’re very clear that they’ve got a different legal system and they understand the decision that we’ve taken.
“So, that’s very clear.”
The US is Israel’s largest ally, and has remained staunchly supportive of the country throughout its war in Gaza, against Palestinian militants Hamas.
Matt Miller, a spokesman for the US Department of State, said last week: “The US is not going to make an assessment under the UK standard. We will make our determination based on US law.”
He added: “[The UK government] had a legal framework that they needed to apply, they applied that legal framework and it led to this decision. It’s of course appropriate for them to make their own legal judgments based on their system and their laws.”
“I’ve obviously had a number of discussions with President Biden, both in person and on the phone, and other allies – France, Germany, Italy, Nato allies, about the tactical decisions we have to make in relation to Ukraine and the Middle East.”
He said their actions have been coordinated so far, but he also wants “to have the opportunity for a more strategic discussion” about both wars.
Kuenssberg then asked if he was “relieved and excited” that US President Joe Biden had been replaced by his Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee ahead of the November elections in the US.
He dodged that question and said: “They’re our sister party and of course it’s really good to see the election developing as it is in the US.
“I’ll be very clear, as the prime minister of the United Kingdom, I’ll deal with whoever the American people elect in as their president.
“But I think it’s very important to remember, particularly for Ukraine and the Middle East, the next few weeks and months are critically important, and therefore it’s important for me to speak to President Biden to speak about our shared response, the response of our allies, to to the pressing immediate issues but also to the more strategic, long-term issues.”
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