The charity UK Lawyers for Israel claim the Gaza conflict might ‘help solve obesity‘

May 2025

UPDATE: 20 May. At the Coop agm, 73% of members did vote to ban Israeli products on its shelves. The Board will now consider this decision.

Few may have heard of this charity which has a prestigious list of members and patrons. It is in the news recently (10 May) because its chief executive made some highly questionable and some might argue ill-judged remarks about the effect on the conflict in Gaza on its citizens. He was referring to a letter published on July 20th 2024 in the Lancet in which the estimate of those killed in the conflict might reach 186,000. The death toll at the time was around 37,000.

The Coop was to debate a motion from its members [No 13] to stop trading with Israel in view of the death toll in Gaza. The motion quotes the Lancet estimate. The UKLFI chief executive Jonathan Turner objected to the Coop motion saying:

“We first pointed out that the letter published in the Lancet on 20 July 2024, to which the motion evidently referred, did not claim that 186,000 Gazans had died in the current war. It did, however, claim – without foundation – that 186,000 Gaza would be likely to die eventually as a result of the war.

“So we pointed out, secondly, that this claim was based on entirely unfounded speculation, which also ignored factors that might result in lengthening the lives of Gazans, given the public health situation existing in Gaza prior to the war, including the extent of obesity. These factors include the possible reduction in the availability of confectionery and cigarettes”.

“In the context in which they were made, our statements were accurate and objective.” (our italics).

The full text can be read here. This might be seen in hindsight as a somewhat warped view of the conflict and on reflection, an apology issued to withdraw them. However, the Guardian article is referenced on their website without any sign of such an apology or retraction [accessed 11 May at 07:00].

The charity’s objectives are – [The] UKLFI Charitable Trust was set up by UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI Ltd), which is is an association of lawyers who support Israel and seek to ensure that the rights of Israel and Israelis are respected.

The charity has a range of reports which seek to counter the narratives which appears in the media. These reports have the appearance of research reports with copious references and footnotes. However, on closer inspection the references do not always support the claims made of them. For example, the bombing of hospitals is usually because the IDF claim they are hiding Hamas operations of various kinds. This is the justification for their destruction. Very little evidence is produced by the IDF. In the charity’s report on this there is still no evidence. Indeed one reference is of an article in Haaretz from 2009, some years before the current conflict which says ‘Intelligence officers suspect’ [the Hamas operations]. Other references do not always support the claims made. The report denying a famine in Gaza was produced in 2024 before the current blockade. Among the conclusions to one report is the plea for ‘more transparency’. This is difficult since foreign journalists are not allowed into the area and the high death toll of those who are – 178 journalist and media workers have been killed in the current hostilities.

UKLFI has a list of patrons of some note. They include Lord Dyson; Lady Cosgrove; Baroness Deech; Stephen Hocken KC; Lord Pannick; Lord Grabiner KC and Lord Howard (formerly the MP Michael Howard). Many are well connected in the British establishment.

One has to question the wisdom of an organisation replete with KCs, other notables and members of the House of Lords, making a claim of this kind. Together with the reports on its site, the purpose seems to be to deny, deny and deny despite the mounting evidence of death and destruction wrought by the IDF. They have threatened the government with legal action over its decision to withhold a limited number of arms licences [not ‘all arms licences’ as the Foreign Secretary, David Lammy twice falsely claimed in a BBC interview last week].

Over 52,000 have now died in Gaza.

Sources: Campaign to Protect Journalists, UKLFI; Guardian; Wikipedia

American readers: a KC is a King’s Counsel which is a barrister of at least 10 years standing who is appointed by the monarch as someone ‘learned in the law’.