The British official wrote in his letter that the world stands witness to clear and unquestionable war crimes in Gaza committed by Israel on a daily basis.
A high-ranking British official has resigned from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) over Britain’s potential complicity in war crimes in Gaza and continued arms sales to Israel, British media reported.
Mark Smith, head of the Africa Programs and Expertise Department FCDO submitted a resignation letter titled “FCDO complicity in War Crimes” in which he expressed his regret to resign following years of service, stating he was left with no choice.
Smith said in his resignation letter, widely distributed via email to hundreds of government officials, embassy staff and special advisors to Foreign Office Ministers, that he “can no longer carry out my duties in the knowledge that this Department may be complicit in War Crimes.”
The British official, who worked in counter-terrorism, wrote in his letter that the world stands witness to clear and unquestionable war crimes in Gaza committed by Israel on a daily basis in breach of International Humanitarian Law.
Full resignation letter from FCDO British diplomat Mark Smith: pic.twitter.com/k9y7varCHC
— Hind Hassan (@HindHassanNews) August 16, 2024
“Over half of Gaza’s homes and over 80 percent of commercial properties have been damaged or destroyed. Whole streets and universities have been demolished, humanitarian aid is being blocked and civilians are regularly left with no safe quarter to flee to. Red Crescent ambulances have been attacked, schools and hospitals are regularly targeted. These are War Crimes,” his letter said.
The senior official, who reportedly worked at the British Embassy in Dublin, stressed that senior members of Israel’s government and its military have openly voiced genocidal intent adding that Israeli occupation soldiers intentionally taped themselves “burning destroying, and looting civilian property and openly admit to the rape and torture of prisoners.”
Smith debunked claims by his government that Britain is “one of the robust and transparent” arms licensing regimes in the world emphasizing that this is the opposite of the truth. He also said that his concerns regarding the potential complicity of the UK in war crimes have been brushed off by his superiors on more than one occasion. “To be disregarded in this way is deeply troubling. It is my duty as a public servant to raise this,” he wrote.
The British official considered that there is no justification for his country’s continued arms sales to Israel considering the war crimes the Jewish state is committing on a daily basis, “yet somehow it continues,” he wrote.
I have raised this at every level in the organization including through an official whistleblowing investigation and received nothing more than “thank you we noted your concerns,” his letter read.
FCDO declined to comment on Smith’s resignation but reiterated that the British government is “committed to upholding international law.”
“We have made clear that we will not export items if they might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of International Humanitarian Law,” FCDO told Action on Armed Violence (AOAV).
I hope that more diplomats will follow the brave lead of Mark Smith and speak up against the enablers of Israel's atrocities.
#DiplomatsAgainstGenocide https://t.co/uqJDXpvMR8— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) August 16, 2024
Executive Director of AOAV, Dr. Iain Overton in a comment on Smith’s resignation said that it is a profound indictment of the UK’s arms export policies. “It takes immense courage to stand up against a system complicit in the suffering of civilians, and his actions should prompt a serious reevaluation of the ethical responsibilities that come with arms trading,” he added.
Smith’s resignation was widely celebrated on social media by users and prominent figures like the United Nations Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese.
“I hope that more diplomats will follow the brave lead of Mark Smith and speak up against the enablers of Israel’s atrocities,” Albanese wrote on his X account.
According to the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), Britain has since 2008 granted licenses for weapons exports to Israel worth £574m ($727m) in total. The British government has recently downplayed the extent of supply, labeling it as “relatively small” at £42m ($53m) in 2022.
(PC, Anadolu, MEMO)
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