The United Kingdom has lifted a 12-year-old ban on arms sales to Israel.
Reacting to the news late last week, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Yossi Beilin said Israel is “very gratified” with the British move.
He added that Britain’s decision crowns “years of diplomatic effort” on Israel’s part to lift the ban, which was imposed following the outbreak of the Lebanon War in June 1982.
“We have found it difficult to sell arms to Britain because of the embargo,” Beilin said.
He explained that potential British purchasers had insisted that some of the weapons to be sold to them include British parts — but the embargo had prevented Israel from acquiring the parts.
“We are presently competing for some important sales to the U.K., and I hope the lifting of the embargo will make it easier to win tenders,” Beilin said.
British Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd explained that the embargo had been lifted as a result of the Israeli-Palestinian peace initiative. He said the decision was finalized when Israel withdrew its forces from the Gaza Strip and West Bank town of Jericho in the course of implementing the Palestinian self-rule accord.
But according to Israel Radio, some observers are saying that the embargo was lifted because Britain’s Conservative Party needs the Jewish vote in the elections to the European Parliament that are scheduled for June 9-12.
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