- Exhibitor list for the UK’s largest – and one of the world’s biggest – arms fairs reveals that 51 Israeli companies will be present at Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI). DSEI is due to open at the ExCeL Centre in Newham, East London, next week. These include Israel’s three biggest arms companies – Elbit Systems, Rafael and Israel Aerospace Industries who have confirmed they will still be attending despite the UK government refusing to invite an official Israeli government delegation.
- This news comes as Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) released an updated version of its UK arms to Israel report. How the UK arms and supports Israel’s genocide in Gaza shows how the UK government is deeply complicit in Israel’s genocide in Gaza. The report provides the most comprehensive information available on UK arms sales to Israel.
- It includes updated figures on the most significant part of the UK’s arms trade with Israel – the F-35 combat aircraft. Israel is using F-35s to drop 2000lb bombs on children in Gaza. From available data, CAAT is now able to conservatively estimate that the value of this contract to UK arms companies, including spare parts, is £572m since 2016. Prime contractor for the F35s, Lockheed Martin, as well as BAE Systems, the lead sub-contractor in the UK, will both exhibit at DSEI.
- The report also reveals the top ten companies for recent arms export licenses to Israel. Nine out of these ten companies and/or their parent companies will be exhibiting at DSEI.
CAAT’s Media Coordinator, Emily Apple, said:
“This government keeps insisting it is doing everything in its power to hold the Israeli government to account for its actions. This information shows this is an outrageous and offensive lie.
“However it has reached peak complicity in genocide in allowing 51 Israeli arms companies to exhibit at DSEI. It is allowing companies to market their genocide tested weapons to human rights abusing countries around the world. The people who run these companies are war criminals. They should be investigated for crimes against humanity, not invited to profit from the unspeakable devastation they have caused in Gaza.
“These are the arms companies arming the IDF. These are the arms companies facilitating and profiting from Israel bombing hospitals, killing journalists and deliberately starving babies. These are not the actions of a government committed to taking action against Israel. These are the actions of a government deeply complicit in a genocide.
“It is clear that our government will not do anything that disrupts the profits of arms dealers. It is therefore down to campaigners across the country coming together to take action to uphold international law on the streets of East London”.
