Hundreds of UK business leaders urge arms embargo and sanctions on Israel

London: More than 700 prominent business figures in the United Kingdom have urged the government to take urgent action against Israel as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens, calling for an arms embargo, sanctions, and stricter oversight of economic ties.

By Thursday, 762 entrepreneurs, executives, and professionals had signed an open letter demanding that the UK halt all weapons trade with Israel, sanction those accused of breaching international law – including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, wanted by the International Criminal Court – and ensure British businesses do not contribute to human rights violations through supply chains or financial flows.

“We see this not only as a moral imperative, but as a matter of professional responsibility – consistent with our duty to act in the best interests of long-term societal and economic resilience,” the letter stated.

The signatories include former royal adviser Jonathon Porritt CBE; sustainability consultant Adam Garfunkel; House of Hackney founder Frieda Gormley; former Unilever chief executive and philanthropist Paul Polman; and organic food entrepreneur Geetie Singh-Watson MBE.

Polman stressed the role of businesses in defending international law: “Business cannot succeed in societies that are falling apart. It is time for business leaders to show courage, speak out, and use our influence to uphold international law,” reported Al Jazeera.

Garfunkel, whose family survived the Holocaust, emphasised the moral weight of the appeal.

“My family was caught up in the Holocaust. My father was lucky enough to escape… My great grandparents were taken to the woods and shot and buried in a mass grave, and what I’ve taken from that is a strong belief that everyone matters, that everyone has human rights, that persecution on the basis of ethnic identity is always wrong, wherever it happens,” he told Al Jazeera.

The call comes as Israel escalates its military campaign in Gaza, preparing for an assault on Gaza City amid severe shortages of food and medical supplies. Rights groups have described Israel’s offensive as genocidal. More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict since October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing around 1,200 and taking 250 hostages.

Porritt, who advised King Charles on environmental issues for three decades, said businesses have a duty to defend human rights. “It’s just become so much clearer over the course of the last few months that this situation now is completely intolerable. And it constitutes very specifically a genocide against the people of Palestine, of Gaza,” he said.

Porritt has drawn attention for his activism, including support for Palestine Action, a protest group recently banned as a terrorist organisation in the UK. He was among over 500 people arrested at a London demonstration on August 9 and faces a bail hearing in late October.