Amsterdam airport
Schiphol has been a major transit ports for arms transfers (mainly
ammunition and
bullet parts) for many years. Read the Press
Release and the overview
of arms transfers to Israël
2006-2007. Despite promises to parliament the government has
still not published arms transfer figures for 2008. A Parliament
vote on better transit control because of the Gaza war was turned
down. Read the report Wapenhandel
en militaire samenwerking
met Israël (with english summary). Read the common
press release of Vredesactie (B) and Campagne tegen Wapenhandel
(NL) about arms
exports and transits (in English).
According
to the
Flemish minister of economic affairs Ceyens no weapons or
components are exported to Israel, writes newspaper the
Standaard.
This can be doubted. Read the press release of Belgium's Vredesactie
about arms
transfers through
Bierset (Liege) airport in Dutch and in
french. See the documentary about Bierset of TerZake.
Also an interview with Vredesactie's Hans Lammerant at MO.
Read the common
press release of Vredesactie (B) and Campagne tegen Wapenhandel
(NL) about arms
exports and transits (in English).
Questions are asked in the Flemish
parliament bij SP.a and in the Wallonian
parliament by Ecolo. Read article of Vrede & Vredesactie in De Morgen.
Campaign Against
Arms
Trade
has protested against arms exports to Israel since the Lebanon War in
2006. The
British section of Amnesty International calls for boycot
of arms
exports to Israel and gives an overview of UK exports. In an urgent
letter to UK foreign minister Millibrand AI-UK calls to stop a
weapons ship heading to Israel. Nine
people from Brighton smashed the computers of EDO MBM Technology
military plant that produces wapons (including guided missiles) for
Israel. See also the
website of the Smash-EDO campaign.
The Derry Anti War
Coalition has asked the police to
investigate Raytheon for war crimes. During Israel's invasion in
Lebanon in
2006, members of the DAWC who severely damaged the Rayteon
computer system were found not guilty by a jury because they "acted
to prevent war crimes".
MEP Tobias Plfuger
calles for an EU
arms boycot (in German). Interview with Otfried Nassauer from BITS
on
Rüstungszusammenarbeit zwischen Deutschland und Israel (arms
coöperation between Germany and Israel) and an article in TAZ.
On January
Amnesty International
appelle la communauté internationale à
imposer
immédiatement un embargo sur les armes à Israël, le Hamas et
les groupes armés palestiniens. Rapports d’organisations
internationales Qui arme Israël et
le Hamas ? La paix pass(é)e par les armes ?
Committee of 100 in
Finland investigates cooperation with israeli
arms industry.
An overview
of arms exports from the EU to Israël on the website of GRIP (in
French).
Note that this overview only gives direct exports. The exports of
components
through third countries is not listed. See also overview 2008 article on
EU.Observer.
Of Israel's
military import 95%
comes from the United States. Through the FMF
program, Israel
remains the single largest recipient of U.S. military aid each
year, which they use to purchase U.S. weapons. Also protest in the
United States:
read the
speech and the letter of Democratic Member of Congress Kucinich: In
Gaza, Israel has violated arms export act.
Link to website of
Beirut activists campaign. In English and French. Who
is arming the occupation?On cluster munitions, a statement by the Cluster Munition Coalition.
On the use of white
phosphor, Human
Right Watch Q&A on White phospor and International Law and CBS
news item from Gaza.
On DIME, a press article quoting two Norwegian
doctors.
Israel has established special army
units to record the operation to justify their actions against
schools, hospitals and holy sites.
