UK Prisons Risk Dying Hunger Strikers, While Arms Flow
While British justice grapples with the morality of force-feeding peaceful protesters, the UK government quietly approves continued arms sales to Israel. In 2022 alone, the UK approved £144 million ($180 million) in military exports to Israel, including components for fighter jets and missiles, according to Campaign Against Arms Trade. These are the same weapons systems—built or facilitated by
companies targeted by Palestine Action—that critics allege are deployed against Gaza’s civilians. (One might wonder: how many hunger strikes does it take to halt an arms pipeline?) Instead of addressing the ethical implications of profiting from conflict, ministers issue stern warnings about public order. Apparently, preventing protests against complicity in alleged war crimes is a higher priority
than preventing the potential deaths of activists or, indeed, the actual deaths of thousands abroad. The silence from UK officials on the humanitarian crisis Palestine Action highlights speaks volumes about where their priorities truly lie.