Labour was accused of planning to exclude hi-tech Israeli anti-missile systems from Britain’s proposed ‘Iron Dome’ defences last night in a bid to appease its pro-Palestinian backbench MPs.
Ministers faced claims that they were preparing to drop ‘tried and tested’ equipment from Tel Aviv-based firm Rafael in favour of a ‘more politically correct’ alternative.
The accusations come as the Government seeks to upgrade and expand its array of Sky Sabre anti-missile units in imitation of Israel‘s own ‘Iron Dome’ defences.
Sources told the Mail on Sunday that even though Rafael’s control and command system was currently used in all seven existing Sky Sabre units, Ministers were now looking to go instead for a Norwegian-produced rival.
The Ministry of Defence responded last night by saying that no such decision had been made.
But the fears come amid pressure from pro-Palestinian Labour MPs for the Prime Minister to toughen his policy towards Israeli amid mounting alarm over the scale of the Israeli military action in Gaza and the rising death toll of Palestinians living there.
In particular, Sir Keir has faced calls to suspend all arms exports to Israel and to recognise Palestine as a state.
Only yesterday, there were reports that French president Emmanuel Macron – who will make a state visit to the UK this week – is urging Sir Keir to hurry up and recognise Palestine.
Labour has been accused of planning to exclude hi-tech Israeli anti-missile systems from Britain’s proposed ‘Iron Dome’ defences (Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept missiles over Tel Aviv)
Sir Keir has faced calls to suspend all arms exports to Israel and to recognise Palestine as a state
And last night, one security source told the Mail on Sunday: ‘Keir Starmer doesn’t want to be seen to be close to Israel on defence.
‘He’s terrified of the Palestinian lobby.
‘And he’s wary of [Attorney General] Richard Hermer saying they’re complicit in helping Israel break international law.’
The UK currently has no equivalent of Israel’s famed Iron Dome missile defence system.
But the Government’s Strategic Defence Review promised last month to provide up to £1 billion in new ‘homeland air and missile defence’ as well as protection against cyber attack.
The MoD is also set to upgrade and expand its current seven Sky Sabre medium-range, ground-based mobile air defence systems.
However, sources claimed that instead of continuing with the existing Israeli-produced command and control units for Sky Sabre, Ministers were planning to appease their pro-Palestinian backbench MPs by switching to a Norwegian alternative called NASAMs.
Last night, defence expert and cross-bench peer Lord Walney said: ‘It would be inexcusable if tried-and-tested Israeli components were no longer used simply for politically convenient reasons.’
The accusations come as the Government seeks to upgrade and expand its array of Sky Sabre anti-missile units in imitation of Israel ‘s own ‘Iron Dome’ defences (pictured)
Lord Walney, former chairman of Labour Friends of Israel, added: ‘Britain needs the best high-tech defence as the world gets more unstable.
‘It would be dismal if ministers ditched components from an Israeli company to avoid pressure from the pro-Palestine crowd.’
Only last week, non-affiliated peer Lord Austin, the Government’s trade envoy to Israel, told the House of Lords how ‘the RAF would not be able to get its planes off the ground without Israeli technology’ and that ‘British soldiers would have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan without Israeli defence equipment.’
Last night, the Ministry of Defence said: ‘No procurement decision to switch to NASAMS has been made.’
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