Red Line for Gaza: why does the UK government still sell arms to Israel?

On Saturday 6 September a couple of friends and I marched in support of Red Line for Gaza. The march was organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (not to be confused with the UK government’s proscribed Palestine Action). This report suggests there were 300,000 of us; this one that there were 20,000. Certainly thousands marched with placards and Palestinian flags along the wide avenues of Southampton Row and Kingsway to Whitehall.

6 September 2025, London, #redlineforgaza march

Red Line for Gaza campaigns against the red lines that have been crossed by the Israeli government and militia in Gaza. They’re all here – you can email your MP from here too. Two of the red lines are:

Perhaps I’m politically naive, but I truly don’t understand why the UK government continues to arm Israel against Palestine when the battle isn’t a battle but a genocide, as declared this month in a resolution passed by the International Association of Genocide Scholars. (In July, two Israeli rights organisations also declared that Israel was committing genocide against the Palestinian population.)

We marched past a young man who stood with his hand on his heart and tears in his eyes: whether for the devastation of Gaza and those who live – and used to live – there, or for the marchers’ support, or both, I can’t know. But I was moved to tears by his tears and I’ve added my voice to those speaking up and demanding action from our government.

On 2 September 2024 the UK government announced:

• immediate suspension of around 30 licences for items used in the current conflict in Gaza which go to the IDF, from a total of approximately 350 licences to Israel

But it wasn’t enough. If you’re as upset and angry as I am about our government’s failure to draw its own resolute and immovable red lines against Israel, this might help, at least a little.