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Israeli arms protest Israeli arms protest
(7 days later)
Nine protesters last week occupied an arms factory based in Staffordshire and it was closed down for two days. The factory is owned by Elbit Systems, Israel’s biggest arms company (Report, 6 August). The drone components they make are allegedly used by the Israeli military to assault Palestinians in Gaza. This factory symbolises how strongly the UK is linked to Israel’s military. Over £190m of UK arms have been exported to Israel over the past five years. These nine protesters, who drew attention to UK complicity with Israeli violations of international law, are being charged with aggravated trespass for stopping this “lawful” factory operating. But selling these weapons to Israel is what is criminal here. Nine protesters last week occupied an arms factory based in Staffordshire and it was closed down for two days. The factory is owned by Elbit Systems, Israel’s biggest arms company (Report, 6 August). The drone components they make are allegedly used by the Israeli military to assault Palestinians in Gaza. This factory symbolises how strongly the UK is linked to Israel’s military. Over £190m of UK arms have been exported to Israel over the past five years. These nine protesters, who drew attention to UK complicity with Israeli violations of international law, are being charged with aggravated trespass for stopping this “lawful” factory operating. But selling these weapons to Israel is what is criminal here.
All charges against the protesters should be dropped and a two-way military embargo should be imposed on Israel immediately.Alice Walker, Ahdaf Soueif, Miranda Pennell, Breyten Breytenbach, John Pilger, Miriam Margolyes, Nick Cave, Noam Chomsky, Richard Falk, Victoria Brittain All charges against the protesters should be dropped and a two-way military embargo should be imposed on Israel immediately.Alice Walker, Ahdaf Soueif, Miranda Pennell, Breyten Breytenbach, John Pilger, Miriam Margolyes, Nick Cave, Noam Chomsky, Richard Falk, Victoria Brittain