How the US and UK Maintain Israel’s Military Edge – While Claiming to Seek Peace in Gaza

Introduction: The great double game

Western governments, led by the US and UK, are coherently narrating a call for peace in Gaza, all the while fueling Israel’s military juggernaut through signal-boosted silence, diplomatic outrage, and arms supplies. The cognitive dissonance is no mistake; it’s a strategy, one we must unpack.

1. US: Ironclad shields and arms lifelines

Shielding Israel from US human‑rights law

The US has created legal mechanisms specifically shielding Israel from accountability, blocking the enforcement of human rights laws in Gaza. That means even when UN investigators flag gross violations, US dollars continue to flow unabated.

Weapons, intelligence, and diplomacy

For decades, US military aid of F‑35s, ammo, interceptors, and satellite intelligence has tipped the balance decisively in Israel’s favour. A Global Affairs analysis shows the US leveraging its UN influence to protect Israel from rebukes. It’s not just hardware, it’s diplomatic immunity.

2. UK: Complicity dressed up as “restraint”

Open arms to Israeli jets

Recent High Court submissions reveal the UK sold £126 million worth of military tech, including F‑35 components, to Israel in just four months after an initial arms‑export “pause”. Despite warnings from human rights groups, the government insisted that such sales were lawful.

F-35 lifelines through RAF bases

Jeremy Corbyn and over 50 MPs have demanded transparency on how RAF Cyprus bases are used to support Israeli F‑35s airborne over Gaza. Yet the government remains cagey, persisting in arms deals and guaranteeing logistical backup.

Ignoring legal concerns

The UK’s Foreign Office flagged serious worries about international humanitarian law (“volume of strikes… proportion of those who are children raises serious concerns”) but still green-lighted arms exports. Over 300 Foreign Office staff privately warned their government was complicit in war crimes - still, no meaningful policy shift.

3. Words without consequences

Western outcry - halting at lip service

From Biden’s occasional rebuke to Starmer’s calls for a ceasefire, both US and UK leaders have adopted stronger tones, but this rhetoric rings hollow: Israel remains militarily empowered, full diplomatic cover intact.

Netanyahu stays in power

Tax Research UK calls for Netanyahu’s ousting as essential for peace. Yet Western governments avoid pushing him, especially when that might threaten arms deals or falter strategic alliances. The message is clear: words over action.

4. The human toll: Gaza’s suffering

Siege and starvation

Gaza, a region of 2 million, is trapped under blockade. Israel’s genocidal siege is characterised not only by bombardment but deliberate starvation and infrastructure collapse. Medical system collapse, malnutrition and rising child deaths are the tragic results.

War crimes in plain sight

Human-rights groups and legal experts have labelled Israel’s tactics “indiscriminate”, possibly amounting to genocide. UK government lawyers or not, this cannot just be a rhetorical concern - it’s a legal peril.

5. Why do Western governments act this way

Geopolitical hyperrealities

Both nations see Israel as a Middle East bulwark - aligned with US strategic interests in intelligence, defence and counter‑terrorism. Curtail the conduit, and alliances may crack.

Domestic lobby pressure

In the UK, lobby and pro‑Israel networks influence policy. Labour Friends of Israel, Conservative Friends of Israel, and pro‑Israeli charities weigh heavily. Similar forces hold sway in Washington.

Political caution

Mistakes like Iraq loom large. Politicians fear the consequences of confrontation. A carrot‑and‑stick approach - words, but no leverage - lets them claim moral high ground while protecting strategic interests.

6. Peace talk hypocrisy

Blame Hamas - shift focus

Western rhetoric frames Israel as, reluctantly, seeking peace, but places the onus on Hamas. This narrative flips power dynamics, clinging to Israel's “right to defend” while framing Gaza’s suffering as a problem of governance rather than occupation.

Diplomatic subterfuge

Trump’s defunct Gaza plan, widely criticised for causing irreversible damage, never delivered peace, but helped codify an unbalanced paradigm. Chatham House warned that even such a plan deepens the crisis. US must allow judicial oversight on Israel military aid tied to rights protections.

Broader diplomacy

Support real ceasefire negotiations involving all concerned, not just as political theatre. Recognise that true peace requires ending occupation, blockades, and pursuing a two-state reality backed by enforceable justice.

Conclusion: Words aren’t enough

If you call for peace while fueling bombs, you’re complicit. That’s the reality today: US shield and UK supplies Israeli domination, masked as diplomacy. Until the West confronts this double‑bind, words of concern will remain the lipstick on Israeli missiles.

It’s time for rigorous policy coherence: no more peace statements that contradict the flow of F‑35 parts and diplomatic cover. Accountability must trump alliance. Only then might real peace be possible for Gaza.