Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Making a killing on Gaza

As blogged here a month ago, Israeli writer/researcher Shir Hever told the Real News Network that Israeli security companies are using the Gaza conflict to market the tools of occupation to other countries :
"... when they go to arms trade shows and show their equipment, they say this has already been tested by the Israeli army on actual people. You can only have that because of the occupation. So every new weapon is first sold to the Israeli army, shot at Palestinians. Then you can sell it." 
Fast forward to two articles from today's Haaretz : 

For Israeli arms makers, Gaza is a cash cow
Protective Edge’s marketing edge
“Battle-tested” is the best marketing slogan for defense industries the world over, so for Israeli military manufactures Operation Protective Edge has yielded a major competitive edge. 
"What has proven itself in battle is much easier to sell.  Immediately after the operation, and perhaps even during, all kinds of delegations arrive here from countries that appreciate Israel’s technological capabilities and are interested in testing the new products.”

Arms sales set to rocket after showcase during Gaza conflict
"Since 2000, when the second intifada broke out, Israel has had some form of military operation lasting a few weeks every few years: Defensive Shield (in the West Bank) in 2002; the Second Lebanon War in 2006; Cast Lead in 2008-09; and Pillar of Defense in 2012. In almost every case, new military technology or weapons were used – which had a positive effect on overseas sales.
The numbers show that, after the initial period of criticism against Israel after the various operations quiet down, sales pick up. And there has been continuous growth in defense exports in recent years. In 2002, such exports were worth $2 billion, grew to $3.4 billion in 2006, and were $6 billion in 2012."
"After the initial period of criticism against Israel after the various operations quiet down, sales pick up."

The article explains the close ties between the IDF, the Defence Ministry, and Israel's three main arms makers - Elbit Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems - and how "many of the senior executives in the defense industries still hold senior positions in the reserves" :
One of the systems that was used in Protective Edge was developed by one of the defense companies as a result of a need raised by a reserve officer who participated in Operation Cast Lead. The officer convinced people in his company to invest in developing the system, and the product went operational during Protective Edge."
It also notes that by exporting 80% of Israel’s defense production, the remainder can be sold more cheaply to the IDF.  So which countries are buying that "battle-tested" 80% ?
"$3.83 billion-worth of deals were signed in 2012 with Asian countries; $1.73 billion with European nations; $1.1 billion with Canada and the United States; $604 million with Latin America; and $107 million in Africa. Haaretz has found there were deals with at least 33 more countries, including many in the Third World."
On the "stars" of arms used against Gaza :
"The Tamuz missile – from Rafael’s “Spike” family of missiles – is equipped with a video camera and can hone in on a target, moving or static, at distances of up to 20 to 25 kilometers. Reports say the IDF has used Tamuz some 200 times during Protective Edge."
A reporter embedded with an IDF unit reported it was a Tamuz missile that killed 15 displaced Palestinians and wounded 150-200 others sheltering in an UNRWA school in Beit Hanoun on July 24 after UNRWA asked for time to evacuate civilians which was not given.

Results like that must really cut down on printing costs for trade show brochures.

The Haaretz article Arms sales set to rocket after showcase during Gaza conflict is behind a paywall but the same article is publicly available under the alternative header How Israel's arms manufacturers won the Gaza war 
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7 comments:

  1. Well? Harper sells arms to Russia. Harper encourages Israel, to make war on Palestine. Nuclear powered Israel, pounds the hell out of Palestine.

    There are those who, make this world an evil dirty place. And, good people are forced to live within the evil, created by monsters.

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  2. Askingtherightquestions12/8/14 2:35 pm

    Great post, Alison. So international money will be used to help Gazans rebuild their destroyed infrastructure while Israel continues to market its "tested and effective" arms to other nations?? The total demolition of infrastucture (hospitals, schools, power plant) let alone complete apartment blocks is condoned why?

    You (and many others -my favourite here) have already pointed out that Netanyahu and the Likud Party desire the removal of Palestinians from Gaza and have been quite duplicitous about this to international sources. How can this be under international law? I, like many Canadians, support the right of Israel to exist. I cannot believe that ruthless oppression and unlawful behaviour further the cause of Israel. Harper and Baird have truly embarrassed themselves on this one.

    Perhaps William Schabas will be able to shed more light on whether the intemperate work of the IDF in Gaza this past month demands referral to the International Criminal Court?

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  3. Serious question, do you support Hamas?

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  4. Anon@11:32 : Good and evil on all sides, Anon.

    How impressive was this? After Netanyahu, Alan Dershowitz, Wolf Blitzer, et al were reported in the NY Times and on tv saying that a Hamas tunnel into Israel was targetting a kibbutz kindergarten to kidnap Israeli children, it was people in that kibbutz who came forward to say that was crap, that there were no tunnels coming out within 1.5km of local kibbutzes, that they had known about the tunnels for years and that none had been used to target civilians.
    "Because you need to tell the truth. Not fluff up the facts, not invent ridiculous horror scenarios, not talk with loaded slogans that include untrue statements, not cry “wolf.” For all of our concerns with Hasbara, we end up hurting the residents of the Gaza-perimeter communities, who develop unnecessary anxieties, while damaging our own credibility."
    Pretty gutsy.

    Not that any of the perps of that bs are likely to retract it now it's done its work promoting terror in US media.

    ATRQ : I really question the point of international aid rebuilding Gaza just so Israel can knock it down again next year. Initial rebuild estimates vary between $3B and $6B, which as it happens is about what US sends to Israel in aid every year, so how about using that instead.

    ATRQ's link
    Yes, horrible Hamas charter language makes media, horrible Likud platform language doesn't.

    Anon@8:21 : Heroes indeed. In addition to the 12 tons of humanitarian aid, Venezuela will also be airlifting hundreds of children to Venezuela for medical treatment under the auspices of the UN.
    Unsurprisingly, Canada - not so much.

    Anon@7:57 : No.
    I don't preface every post criticizing the oppression of Palestine with a disclaimer like " I don't support Hamas but ..." because I'm not 12 or a politician so I have the luxury of not watering down every post to mush. I don't do "fair and balanced" here; I do counterbalance to the three main parties' uncritical and unflinching support of evrything Likud and a Con caucus that believes Israel is a "light unto the world". In the course of so doing, I try not to promote or incite hatred - hence no graphic photos of babies with their heads blown off.
    This is not an impossible situation. The Hamas/PA accord, so recently scuttled by Netanyahu, assented to all PA points including the right of Israel to exist. With sufficient international pressure it might be possible to get it back.

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  5. “WASHINGTON (AFP) — Israel secured supplies of ammunition from the Pentagon last month without the approval of the White House or the State Department, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

    Since officials there were caught off guard as they tried to restrain Israel’s campaign in Gaza, the administration of President Barack Obama has tightened controls on arms shipments to Israel, the newspaper said, quoting US and Israeli officials.

    But the case illustrated that the White House and the State Department have little influence over the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the paper said, quoting officials from both countries.”

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  6. Lets not forget the Americans and their arms sales to everyone. They sell Arms to Saudi and Qatar, who support Hamas. They sell Arms to Israeli. The sell arms to Egypt and Iraq. The arms sold/given to Iraq are now in the hands of ISIS.

    This isn't just a place for Israeli to test their weapons, its a place for Americans to test their weapons, just as Iraq and Afghanistan was/is. Lets not single out Israeli on this one. Then there are the arms Germany, France, and Britain sell in the middle east. face it, everybody is making money on this one except the civilians in Gaza and Syria.

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  7. e.a.f. : You mentioned Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Israel, Egypt, and Iraq. Canada sells arms to all those countries too, as well as Bahrain, Colombia, Algeria, and Ukraine.

    Latest "Report on Exports of Military Goods from Canada", as per international.gc.ca :

    Saudi - "Guns. Bombs, torpedoes, rockets, missiles, other explosive devices and charges, and related equipment and accessories specially designed for military use. Ground vehicles. Aircraft, lighter-than-air vehicles, unmanned airborne vehicles, aero-engines and “aircraft” equipment, related equipment and components, specially designed or modified for military use. Imaging or countermeasure equipment, specially designed for military use."

    Qatar - "Chemical or biological toxic agents, riot control agents, radioactive materials, and related equipment, components, materials"

    Israel - "Chemical or biological toxic agents, riot control agents, radioactive materials, and related equipment, components, materials. Bombs, torpedoes, rockets, missiles, other explosive devices and charges, and related equipment and accessories specially designed for military use. Vessels of war, special naval equipment and accessories, and components specially designed for military use. Aircraft, lighter-than-air vehicles, unmanned airborne vehicles. Specialized equipment for military training or for simulating military scenarios, simulators specially designed for training in the use of any firearm or weapon."

    Egypt - "Guns. Ammo. Aircraft, lighter-than-air vehicles, unmanned airborne vehicles, aero-engines and “aircraft” equipment, related equipment and components, specially designed or modified for military use. Specialized equipment for military training or for simulating military scenarios, simulators specially designed for training in the use of any firearm or weapon. Imaging or countermeasure equipment, specially designed for military use."

    Iraq - Software.

    Bahrain - "Aircraft, lighter-than-air vehicles, unmanned airborne vehicles, aero-engines and “aircraft” equipment, related equipment and components, specially designed or modified for military use."

    Colombia - "Bombs, torpedoes, rockets, missiles, other explosive devices and charges, and related equipment and accessories specially designed for military use. Aircraft, lighter-than-air vehicles, unmanned airborne vehicles, aero-engines and “aircraft” equipment, related equipment and components, specially designed or modified for military use. Imaging or countermeasure equipment, specially designed for military use, and specially designed components and accessories."

    Since this report was issued, Baird added guns to the list of allowed exports to Colombia last year.

    Algeria - "Aircraft, lighter-than-air vehicles, unmanned airborne vehicles, aero-engines and “aircraft” equipment, related equipment and components, specially designed or modified for military use."

    Ukraine - "Guns. Ammo."

    Russia - "Guns. Ammo. Electronic equipment. Software."

    I could go on.

    In 2010-2011, 28 countries received "Chemical or biological toxic agents, riot control agents, radioactive materials, and related equipment, components, materials" from Canada.

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