UK court upholds F-35 parts sales to Israel despite protests
- A coalition of human rights groups challenged the sale of F-35 parts to Israel in court.
- The High Court ruled that the political nature of the issue is for the government, not the court.
- UK can continue exporting F-35 parts, emphasizing national defense and international collaboration.
In the United Kingdom, a significant legal decision was made on June 30, 2025, when the High Court in London ruled against a case aimed at halting the sales of aircraft parts for Lockheed Martin's F-35 jets to Israel. This ruling dismissed a lawsuit brought by various human rights organizations after a lengthy deliberation that spanned six weeks. The justices determined that the matter was politically sensitive and should be left to the elected government rather than the judiciary, thereby rejecting claims that such exports could lead to serious violations of international humanitarian law in the conflict in Gaza. The case was prompted by an internal review carried out by the UK government in response to Israel's military actions, which raised concerns about potential breaches of international humanitarian law. Specifically, the lawsuit was initiated by Al-Haq and other groups, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. The plaintiffs alleged that the UK had a duty under the Geneva Conventions to prevent a situation that posed a serious risk of genocide and that current export protocols could allow UK-made components to be used in airstrikes against civilians in Gaza. The court's ruling indicated that it was impractical for the Ministry of Defence to guarantee that components supplied for a multinational parts program would not end up on Israeli aircraft. The ruling emphasized the critical nature of the F-35 program, highlighting its importance to national defense and pointing out that a total ban on exports would jeopardize the ongoing program while harming relations with NATO allies. As such, the court concluded that the issue was ultimately one of political accountability rather than judicial intervention. As a result of the ruling, components manufactured in the UK will continue to support the international pool designated for F-35 jets despite the objections raised by the human rights organizations involved in this case. While advocacy groups view the recent ruling as a setback, they also acknowledged that the court maintained certain restrictions by previously suspending some export licenses for weapons directly sold to Israel. The organizations indicated they would continue to challenge the UK government's arms exports policy and highlight the ethical implications of military support in contexts where humanitarian law is a concern.