Middle East minister admits ‘painful’ timing of Israel arms sale suspensions
by Lee Harpin, Jewish News:
EXCLUSIVE: Hamish Falconer says he recognises the pain of the community over clash with Lammy statement and hostage funerals but ‘timing set by legal process’.
Middle East minister Hamish Falconer has apologised for the pain caused by the overlap of the government’s announcement of a suspension of arms licence exports to Israel with the funerals of hostages murdered by Hamas.
Speaking exclusively to Jewish News the Labour front bencher and former diplomat said: “I want to acknowledge the pain that it caused. The timing was set by a legal process, and we had to stick to that process.”
The minister, promoted straight into a senior role by Keir Starmer after being elected MP for Lincoln in July, added:”I recognise that that timing will have been so evocative to the British Jewish community, but we have gone through a quasi legal process.
“We had the decision, it was the first day back of Parliament, and we thought it was important that we did this in the same straight down the line way that we have gone about this whole process.
“I really regret that that timing overlapped so closely as it did, but the right thing to do was to proceed on the basis that we’re doing this in a legal way. ”
In the midst of widespread communal anger Falconer continued:”I have tried to be in regular contact with as many different Jewish community groups as I possibly can. I’ve heard on Monday and Tuesday directly from them.
“I want to reassure your readers that this government is very keen to be in regular conversation, to be listening to the Jewish community, right into the foreign office, into Number 10, we hear the Jewish voice.
“I have heard the pain from the Board, from the JLC, and from several rabbis.”
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