UK artists demand halt to arms sales to Israel

More than 300 prominent figures from the UK’s arts and cultural scene, including pop icon Dua Lipa and actor Benedict Cumberbatch, have urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to stop all arms exports to Israel and push for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. In an open letter, also signed by singer Annie Lennox, artist Tracey Emin, and actors Riz Ahmed, Tilda Swinton, and Noomi Rapace, they called for urgent action to end the UK’s role in supporting the violence in Gaza.

The letter requests the immediate suspension of all British weapons sales and export licenses to Israel, full humanitarian access to Gaza for experienced aid groups without military interference, a commitment to negotiate a lasting ceasefire for Gaza’s children, and an end to the ongoing famine.

Josie Naughton, co-founder of the refugee aid group Choose Love, which initiated the letter, emphasized that words alone cannot save Palestinian children or fill their empty stomachs  immediate action from Keir Starmer is essential. While Starmer condemned the worsening situation in Gaza as “intolerable,” the UK government has paused free trade talks with Israel and summoned the Israeli ambassador.

In September 2024, London halted about 30 arms export licenses to Israel, citing risks that the weapons might violate international law in Gaza. NGOs have since demanded that the ban include British-made parts used in American F-35 jets operated by Israel.

On Tuesday, around 380 writers from the UK and Ireland, including Zadie Smith and Ian McEwan, described the situation in Gaza as a “genocide” and called for the immediate, unrestricted delivery of food and medical aid by the UN alongside a ceasefire. Israel denies the genocide claims but partially eased its total blockade on Gaza last week, imposed since March 2, officially to pressure Hamas to release remaining hostages.

The ongoing conflict stems from a deadly Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,218 people, mostly civilians. In response, the Israeli military has been conducting an extensive offensive in Gaza for over 19 months, resulting in more than 54,000 Palestinian deaths, predominantly civilians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry figures considered credible by the UN.