Since 2015, the United Kingdom has increased by 1,100 percent its military arms licenses for defense firms exporting to Israel. As a result, Israel has gone on a military shopping spree, loading up on hardware such as small arms ammunition, missiles, weapon sights, and sniper rifles.
The increase in licenses from $26 million in 2015 to nearly $290 million in 2017 has made Israel the UK’s eighth largest market for UK arms companies. In total, over the past five years Israel has bought nearly $500,000,000 worth of UK military hardware. The UK is now Israel’s largest trading partner in Europe, and third largest worldwide.
Critics of the arms sales claim Britain has an unreported military alliance with Israel and is “colluding” in “war crimes” against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Sources:
Mark Curtis, “MSM Blackout: Colluding in War Crimes: Britain’s Unreported Military Alliance with Israel,” Truepuplica, March 15, 2019, https://truepublica.org.uk/united-kingdom/msm-blackout-colluding-in-war-crimes-britains-unreported-military-alliance-with-israel/.
Globes correspondent, “Israel, UK sign post-Brexit trade agreement,” Globes, February 24, 2019, https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-israel-uk-sign-post-brexit-trade-agreement-1001275379.
“UK Urged to Vote against Anti-Israel Motions at UN Human Rights Council Meeting,” Jewish News, March 19, 2019, https://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/uk-urged-to-vote-against-anti-israel-motions-at-un-human-rights-council-meeting/
Jamie Doward, “British arms exports to Israel reach record level,” The Guardian, May 27, 2018, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/27/british-arms-exports-israel-new-record
Student Researcher: Dylan F. Switala (Drew University)
Faculty Evaluator: Lisa Lynch (Drew University)
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