UK government says Israel’s decision to escalate war on Gaza ‘wrong’ as Israel decries ‘discrimination’.
The British government has barred Israeli officials from attending a major London arms fair next month, as tensions between the two allies escalate over Israel’s war on Gaza.
“We can confirm that no Israeli government delegation will be invited to attend DSEI UK 2025,” the Ministry of Defence said in a statement reported by the AFP news agency on Friday.
The biennial exhibition, running from September 9-12, is one of the world’s largest arms trade shows.
The decision follows London’s suspension of some weapons export licences to Israel, the freezing of free trade negotiations, and sanctions imposed on two far-right Israeli ministers over the assault on Gaza, where famine has taken hold amid Israel’s severe restrictions on supplies of humanitarian aid.
“The Israeli government’s decision to further escalate its military operation in Gaza is wrong,” the British statement said. “There must be a diplomatic solution to end this war now, with an immediate ceasefire, the return of the hostages and a surge in humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.”
A report published in May found that United Kingdom firms have continued to export military items to Israel despite a government partial suspension in September last year.
Israeli defence companies will still be permitted to take part in the event, but without an official government presence or pavilion.
Israel’s defence ministry denounced the move as “a deliberate and regrettable act of discrimination” and said it would withdraw from the exhibition entirely.
Israeli media reported that Britain had said the ban could be reversed if Israel committed to “upholding international law in the occupied Palestinian territories”.
The move comes amid mounting European pressure on Israel over its continued war on Gaza.
In May, France barred Israeli arms manufacturers from displaying “offensive weapons” at the Paris Air Show.
European Union foreign ministers are set to discuss further sanctions against Israel at a meeting in Copenhagen on Saturday, with Sweden and the Netherlands leading calls for tougher action.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has signalled a harder stance towards Israel, pledging last month to recognise a Palestinian state in September if Israel refuses to agree to a truce and take concrete steps towards ending its occupation.
The DSEI arms fair traditionally hosts senior delegations alongside private arms contractors.
More than 62,600 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed by Israel in its nearly two-year war on Gaza and at least 157,600 have been wounded, according to Palestinian health authorities.
South Africa has brought a case at the International Court of Justice alleging that Israel was in breach of its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention. The case alleges that Israel’s war on Gaza has gone beyond targeting the Palestinian group Hamas, with the military attacking civilians, schools, hospitals and camps. Israel denies deliberately targeting civilians.
