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photo: #ShutElbitDown
action camp Leicester |
President of the European Commission Von der Leyen praised Israel as a vibrant democracy in the heart of the Middle East. “Your freedom is our freedom,” she said in a video message on the occasion of 75 years of Israel. The negative reactions against the provocative words of the top EU civil servant were many. The Palestine Authority called part of her words an “anti-Palestinian racist trope.”
Critisism is not new. Amnesty
International as well as Human
Rights Watch qualified Israeli policy towards Palestine as
Apartheid. A word first used to describe the racial policy of the
white South African regime. It got a wider adaption in the Apartheid
Convention and now means the “systematic oppression and
domination by one racial group over any other racial group or groups
and committed with the intention of maintaining that regime.”
In 1977
the United Nations installed an mandatary arms embargo against
South Africa. It was the start of an expanding global Boykot
Apartheid movement until the fall of this horrible system.
Israeli
Apartheid is however still supported with arms exports, imports and
military cooperation. In the past few months reported military
Israeli sales were many. Each of them gives its military industry a
stronger position. Below are several recent examples from the
European Union alone,
so sales to Azerbaijan e.g. are not included. Not because they
are unimportant. But because the focus here is on Europe’s
contribution to beef up Israeli armed forces. This is even more
urgently because Israeli military firms, like Rafael, Elbit and
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) are planning to seize opportunities
to increase their exports to EU member states.
Denmark
Israeli
military company Elbit Systems won a €108 million sale of
truck-mounted howitzers and a $120 million contract for artillery
rocket systems. Although the buyer was not named, it is widely
believed to be Denmark, as
Copenhagen
is
reported to be negotiating
with Elbit for those systems.
Estonia
Estonia
signed a contract with IAI for long-range loitering munitions (also
known as suicide or killer drones). The deal marks “one of
the most expensive defence procurement deals in Estonia’s history.”
The necessary training is included in
the €100+ million sale.
Finland
Helsinki
is acquiring the David’s Sling missile system valued €316
million. The thora/biblical named missile was developed by the Israel
Missile Defense Organization and the US Missile Defense Agency, with
Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems serving as the prime
contractor. The weapon showcases one of the attracting qualities of
Israeli military industries: its connection to US military knowledge.
Germany
The Jeruzalem Post predicted on May 7,
that Germany may approve purchase of the Israeli Arrow 3 the follwing
week. The deal is of the enormous value of €3
billion (Israeli military sector’s largest export contract
ever). Visa versa Germany earlier sold Israel submarines for the
same amount. This scandal ridden deal – even into the office of
the Israeli PM – is full of controversy. But even the fact they may
be nuclear
armed, did not prevent this submarine deal. Nuclear
non-proliferation is for some.
Israeli defense company Aeronautics, owned by Rafael and Stolero Aeron, agreed to supply Greece with Orbiter 3 drones. The deal is part of the sale of Rafael’s Spike missiles to the country in a package worth €370 million. (Spike missiles are used by several EU countries (Illustration see wiki map), the #Netherlands included).
Romania
Elbit
inked four aircraft technology contracts with Romania to “upgrade
helicopters, provide electronic warfare technology, deliver systems
to support search and rescue operations, and supply avionics suites
for training aircraft.” Remarkably Bucharest is also a large
exporter to Israel. In 2021 it
licensed sales worth € 106 million, included €22 million for
explosive devices and €14 million for military vehicles. Earlier
this year Elbit announced a deal via its Romanian subsidiary,
Elmet International, to supply $120 million worth of unmanned
turrets, remote controlled weapon stations and mortars for the
Piranha V combat vehicle.
Netherlands
On a
separate text
page (in English and Dutch) the different aspects of Dutch military industrial
cooperation with Israel are listed. Besides minimal arms and dual use
exports and transit, it also involves imports of Israeli military
knowledge, private industry cooperation with Bagira on military
simulation and even the establishment of a Elbit Systems of America
plant (a full daughter company of Elbit) near a Dutch military base
for overhaul of F-16 and F-35 fighter jets for international
customers.
Frontex
Israeli smart wall technology are used
by Frontex, the EU Border and Coast Guard Agency. In 2021 IAI and
French Airbus won a joint
Frontex contract for €50 million for maritime aerial
surveillance services. Closer links to Israeli Apartheid policies are
hard to imagine in the field of military technology cooperation.
Israeli arms
The
Israeli military and repression industry is supported by a annual
flow of funds from the US. Its weapons are advanced, combat proves in
encounters with neighbours and in Gaza and the West Bank. It is a
strong sales argument. While Israel does not provide arms to Ukraine,
its military industry is happily used as the arsenal to fill European
gaps (just one of the many spill over effects of the war in
Ukraine).
United Kingdom
Connections
between UK and Israeli arms producers are strong. But a recent action
camp in front of a Elbit factory in Leicester is more inspiring.
It reminded to the international actions of Occupy, a protest against
the wealth in the hands of the 1%. Here the protests are concerned
the Israeli military repressive operations in Palestine. UK police
however did
forcefully end the protest. But seen the activities of the past
years, new actions can be expected to pop up soon. They are badly
needed, also in the EU. When the (non-elected) EU leadership gives
the wrong example, citizens themselves have to demand for a policy
following ethical guidelines, for military exports as well as for
imports. Such a policy should also be applied to Israel. Supporting
Apartheid is wrong.
|
EU Arms export licenses for Israel 2016-2021 |
|
|
Country of origin** |
Value in € million |
|
Germany |
937 |
|
UK (until 2020) |
403 |
|
Romania |
265 |
|
France |
* 1.555 |
|
Italy |
86 |
|
Czech Republic |
66 |
|
Spain |
55 |
|
Slovakia |
46 |
|
Bulgaria |
24 |
|
Belgium |
22 |
|
*
Export licenses of France always much higher compared to actual
exports. |
|
