Some people may remember that in July I posted a petition on the Parliament website calling on the UK Government to impose sanctions on Israel in an effort to stop the barbaric killing of innocent people in Gaza. https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/728765
The petition has now been signed by more than 11,300 people. Thanks to those who signed. At 10,000 signatures, the Government has to respond to a petition and at 100,000, Parliament is likely to debate it. In this case the signatures reached 10,000 just before the latest ceasefire took effect on 10 October. The Government has now responded, saying it believes that “the quickest, most effective way to end the war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza is not through trade sanctions, but through ensuring the success of the peace initiative currently under way.” 
It also points to measures taken, including suspending negotiations on a new trade deal; suspending arms exports and sanctioning violent Israeli settlers and members of the Israeli cabinet. It concludes that sanctions at this stage would put more than 30,000 British jobs at risk whereas the best chance of ending the suffering is via the current peace initiative.
I question whether all of those jobs are entirely dependent on UK-Israel trade and I note this was not a deal breaker when it came to sanctions on Russia. I also think that had the UK and EU imposed sanctions two years ago, that might have created momentum for peace. But I recognise that the situation on the ground has changed. Although some dreadful atrocities are still being committed, the blockade of Gaza has been lifted and it is time to give peace a chance. However, should the genocide start again, I will join all those who campaign for stronger sanctions against Israel.
Here are the full texts of my petition and the government’s response. https://www.davidvigar.co.uk/update-on-gaza-petition
Meanwhile, through this process I have realised that there is a substantial movement within Israel to make peace permanent and reach a long-term solution with the Palestinians. These people need international support. It’s worth looking at a newspaper like Haaretz https://www.haaretz.com/ which shows that Netanyahu does not go unchallenged and there is hope. Those who have any kind of influence should do everything to encourage the peacemakers on both sides to seek support in their respective communities and bring reconciliation to this troubled region.
Also worth dipping into is this debate on a petition on delivering aid to Gaza that did reach 100,000 signatures. https://www.youtube.com/live/h91WfAZi2tw MPs turned up along with a Minister and it may have had some real-world influence on the UK’s stance.
Petition text
We call on the Government to review existing trade ties with Israel, suspend the 2030 Roadmap for UK-Israel bilateral relations and impose trade sanctions upon Israel.
We are concerned that innocent people, including children, are suffering and dying in Gaza, and we feel the UK is not taking enough action. I oppose any violence against civilians and was horrified by Hamas’s attack of October 2023. I believe Gaza’s current Hamas leadership should be brought to justice but I believe this does not justify what is happening to ordinary people in Gaza. As UK citizens, we ask the Government to take action against Israel.
Government response
We believe the quickest, most effective way to end the war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza is not through trade sanctions, but through ensuring the success of the peace initiative currently under way.
This Government came to power in July 2024 determined to secure an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all the remaining hostages held by Hamas, the unrestricted flow of aid into Gaza to tackle the escalating humanitarian crisis, and the restoration of a path to long-term peace and stability in the Middle East.
Over the last fifteen months, we have taken decisive action in support of these goals: restoring funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency; providing nearly £250 million in development assistance; coordinating international condemnation of the humanitarian crisis; and evacuating groups of sick and injured children to receive medical treatment in the UK.
We suspended negotiations on a new trade deal with Israel; suspended the export of arms and military equipment that could be used in Gaza; and imposed three rounds of sanctions on violent Israeli settlers and members of the Israeli cabinet.
And, after signing a landmark agreement with the Palestinian Authority to support their ambitious reform agenda, we took the historic step last month of formally recognising a Palestinian state, with no future role for Hamas, to protect the viability of a two-state solution and create a path towards a just and lasting peace, with security for the Israeli and Palestinian people alike.
We are now working tirelessly with our partners across the world to build support and momentum for the US peace initiative, which offers the quickest and most effective path to achieving the goals we have been working towards over the last year, and which – at the time of writing – is already creating hope of progress.
There is a long way still to go, but at this time, the efforts of all governments and all people of goodwill should be focused on supporting that effort to stop the bloodshed, release the hostages, end the humanitarian crisis, and restore a framework for peace.
The UK government does not believe that accepting the petitioners’ proposals at this time would contribute to that effort, and would risk punishing British businesses and workers without making any positive difference to the current situation in the Middle East, especially since the export of arms and military equipment for use in Gaza has already been suspended.
As a whole, UK exports to Israel were worth £3.3 billion in the twelve months ending March 2025, compared to £2.5 billion in Israeli exports to the UK. Those UK exports supported around 38,100 jobs in the UK in the last year for which data is available, particularly in advanced manufacturing.
Suspension of trade with Israel would not only put those jobs and businesses at risk, but would also damage the strong links between UK and Israeli scientists, who regularly collaborate on research and development projects, resulting in new technologies, medicines, industrial processes, and other products and services.
We fully understand the strength of feeling on this issue among the petitioners, but if their ultimate goal is to see an end to the war and humanitarian suffering in Gaza, then we hope they will in turn accept our sincerely held view that the quickest, most effective way to pursue that goal is not through trade sanctions, but through the current peace initiative, based on the months of groundwork that the UK has done alongside our international partners to give that initiative the best chance of success.
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office