Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden says Israel has made ‘big mistakes’ in Gaza conflict

Oliver Dowden has accused Israel of making “significant mistakes” during the conflict in Gaza and insisted the UK government “holds them to very high standards”.

Speaking to Sky News’ Trevor Phillips on the six-month anniversary of the October 7 attacks, the deputy prime minister insisted the UK had not given “carte blanche” over the actions of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government Commission” and instead had a “lively dialogue” with them – especially given that Three British aid workers killed last week.

But he said the Jewish community had been living in “a state of existential threat” since the Hamas attacks and that we should understand “the trauma it is still suffering”.

Politics Live: Dowden denies giving Israel ‘carte blanche’

Dowden also accused people of “loving” the debate over whether the UK should continue selling weapons to Israel, Publish its legal advice Its actions in Gaza have come under growing criticism and questions have been raised about whether it violates international law.

He declined to disclose the advice provided to the government, saying it was an “ongoing process” and would remain “confidential”.

But the deputy prime minister said any decision to halt sales had been taken by business secretary Kemi Badenock on the advice of foreign secretary Lord Cameron and he had “not changed” [his] Recommendation” not yet.

Mr Dowden told Trevor Phillips: “We need to go through a process in terms of weapons… [but] This does worry me, and I want to choose my words carefully, but the way some people have seized on this issue and tried to hold Israel to incredibly high standards.

“Of course we’re right to hold Israel to a high standard, but I just think some people are a little bit relished in the way they’re pushing their case against Israel.”

Asked whether he meant there was a level of anti-Semitism in the debate, Mr Dowden said: “I wouldn’t go that far.

“But I think it’s back to where we started. I think a lot of people in the Israeli Jewish community have been anticipating this shift in attitudes toward Israel.

“We should think back to where Israel was on the day of that attack, which is still traumatized. Of course, Israel made mistakes, big mistakes, and we should hold them accountable, but we are holding them accountable.” Very high standard. “

The interview comes as Lord Cameron wrote about his views in an article in The Times, suggesting that Britain’s support for Israel is not unconditional.

He said there was “no doubt” that the deaths of British aid workers were to blame, adding that “this must not happen again” as international pressure on Mr Netanyahu continued to increase.

But shadow foreign secretary David Lammy accused his counterpart of “evading scrutiny”, calling on him to break with convention and appear in the House of Commons – rather than the House of Lords – to face questions from MPs.

In a letter to Lord Cameron, the Labor MP said the government had been “remaining silent” on its legal advice, adding: “We cannot allow the foreign secretary to escape scrutiny of arms sales as this is a matter of huge importance A question of legal and diplomatic importance.”