UK complicity in Israel’s crimes against the Palestinian people War on Want fights against the root causes of poverty and human rights violation, as part of the worldwide movement for global justice. We do this by: • working in partnership with grassroots social movements, trade unions and workers’ organisations to empower people to fight for their rights • running hard-hitting popular campaigns against the root causes of poverty and human rights violation • mobilising support and building alliances for political action in support of human rights, especially workers’ rights • raising public awareness of the root causes of poverty, inequality and injustice, and empowering people to take action for change Join us! The success of our work relies on inspiring people to join the fight against poverty and human rights abuse. There are three easy ways for you to support our work: Call 020 7324 5040 Visit www.waronwant.org/support-us Post Tear off the membership form at the back of this report and send to: War on Want 44-48 Shepherdess Walk London N1 7JP Preface 01 In November 2012, the Israeli army license arms exports to and imports from launched a military assault on the Israel, the British government is giving Palestinian population of occupied material support to Israel’s aggression Gaza using drones, Apache helicopters, against the Palestinian people, and sending F-16 fighter jets and naval vessels. The a clear message of approval for its actions. attack lasted eight days, with civilian areas bombarded from air and sea with In July 2011, the largest Palestinian civil horrific effect. Israeli drones constantly society coalition, encompassing Palestinian circled the skies over Gaza launching trade unions, NGOs and mass organisations, hundreds of missiles. Despite Israel’s the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and violations of international law and Sanctions National Committee, issued a Palestinian human rights, the British call for an immediate and comprehensive government is importing Israel’s drone military embargo on Israel. 3 Supporters of the technologies to be integrated into its embargo include Nobel Peace Prize winners armed forces. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Mairead Maguire, Betty Williams and Adolfo Pérez Esquivel. In 2005, the UK Ministry of Defence awarded Alternative Nobel Prize winners Walden Bello the contract for the development of a new and Chico Whitaker and best-selling Canadian surveillance drone – the Watchkeeper – writer and journalist Naomi Klein have also to a joint venture formed between Israel’s supported the demands of the call. Elbit Systems and its partner company, Thales UK. The design and technology of Working in partnership with popular the Watchkeeper is based closely on Elbit’s movements in Palestine, War on Want has Hermes 450 model, extensively used over taken up this call for a military embargo Gaza. The British government is, in effect, under the banner of the Stop Arming Israel buying technology that has been ‘field tested’ campaign. In light of Israel's violations of on Palestinians. After numerous costly delays international law and Palestinian human rights, in its development, in October 2013 the the British government and the European Watchkeeper finally passed a key hurdle Union must end their complicity with Israel’s in the journey towards its release for aggression and implement an immediate active service. 1 two-way arms embargo on Israel. We urge all those who believe in human dignity and Disregarding abundant evidence in UN justice to join us in this call. resolutions and reports by international human rights organisations of Israel’s unlawful use of force, the British government continues its collaboration with Israel’s army and military industry. Despite previous British government statements that it cannot accept Israeli assurances that British arms will not be deployed against civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, the government John Hilary currently has 381 extant arms licences to Executive Director Israel worth £7.8 billion. 2 By continuing to War on Want 1 Importing terror 02 e l In 2005, the UK Ministry of Defence p attributed to U-TacS failure to deliver o e (MoD) awarded UAV Tactical Systems p project requirements to schedule. n a i Ltd (U-TacS), a joint venture between Then Minister for Defence Equipment, n i t Israeli arms company Elbit Systems s Peter Luff, said in March 2012 that e l a and its partner company Thales UK, “it would be speculative to provide P e h a contract which would ultimately a forecast as to when Watchkeeper t t s be worth nearly £1 billion for the n will achieve release to service or its i a 5 g development of the Watchkeeper WK in-service date.” a s 450 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), e m i r or drone. This drone is based on the Israeli Despite the delays, in January 2013 UK c s ’ l Hermes 450, described as the ‘workhorse’ defence minister Philip Dunne announced e a r of Israel’s military in its operations in the further planned expenditure of £73 million, s I n i Occupied Palestinian Territories. Israeli £59 million and £28 million on Watchkeeper y t i companies such as Elbit will often boast of equipment and support over the next three c i l 6 p their competitive advantage in the global financial years. In October 2013, the drone m o c arms market due to their extensive ‘testing’ and its software finally received a ‘Statement K 4 U of their weaponry in ‘real life’ situations. of Type Design Assurance’ from the UK’s s e n Military Aviation Authority. This statement o r d Operations with the new Watchkeeper allows the MoD to move towards the final r e l l i system were due to have started in safety and airworthiness tests which would K Afghanistan from September 2010, but see the Watchkeeper belatedly enter the programme has been mired in delays active service. 7 The Watchkeeper WK450 P h o t o : T o m a s z D u n n 03 U-TacS operates the overall Watchkeeper programme from its facility in Leicester, with work subcontracted to a host of other British “We are proud to be a companies. Local sourcing is a common part of a winning team strategy of Israeli arms companies in order to avoid the licensing difficulties associated together with Thales with moving parts and technology across international borders. The British company UK in a project based UAV Engines Limited (UEL) based in Lichfield, on the high end tactical Staffordshire, manufactures the engines which allow the Watchkeeper to be airborne for Hermes 450 UAV, 14-16 hours at a time and to fly at an altitude globally recognised as of up to 16,000 feet. 8 UEL’s parent company, Israeli drone specialist Silver Arrow, is a a brand name for UAV wholly owned subsidiary of Elbit. In 2009 customers worldwide. ” Amnesty International pointed to evidence that the engines for Elbit’s Hermes 450 – Joseph Ackerman, Former President which have been used in military assaults on and CEO of Elbit Gaza – originate from the UEL plant. 9 British defence firm QinetiQ received the contract to conduct Watchkeeper test flights, managing its first flight at Parc Aberporth, Wales, on for the British army over the Golan Heights 14 April 2010. 10 – Syrian territory illegally occupied by Israel since 1967. In 2011, British troops were Besides the Watchkeeper found to be undertaking training in drone programme, U-TacS was technology in Israel itself, just two years after awarded a further contract in the widespread use of drones by the Israeli 2007 worth £69 million to military in its assault on Gaza (see below). 13 provide the British armed Indeed, the first ten Watchkeeper drones forces with Hermes 450 UAV systems, as well were built in Israel, with production then as training in the use and maintenance of the switching to the U-TacS facility in Leicester. systems. 11 Former President and CEO of Elbit, Joseph Ackerman, commented on Israeli arms companies play a leading role the deals: “We are proud to be a part of internationally in the development and export a winning team together with Thales UK of drone technology. Israel’s military began in a project based on the high end tactical developing drones in the early 1970s and was Hermes 450 UAV, globally recognised as a the first to make widespread use of drones brand name for UAV customers worldwide.” 12 in its 1982 invasion of Lebanon. It has since Elbit and Thales have agreed to jointly market continued to hone the technologies through drones in other countries worldwide. regular military attacks on the Palestinian territories it occupies, and on surrounding The British government has already countries. 14 In order to develop its own come under scrutiny for the Watchkeeper drones programme, the British government programme’s links to Israel. In 2008, Elbit turned to a joint venture with a company was forced to cancel a series of Watchkeeper whose products had already undergone trials that it had been planning to carry out extensive battlefield testing. 04 e l p drone fleets. The USA has the largest fleet, o Remote control wars e p increasing spending on drones from £177 n a 17 i Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly million in 2000 to £2.5 billion in 2010. The n i t s known as drones, are aircraft remotely USA has deployed drones in Iraq, Afghanistan, e l a controlled by ‘pilots’ from the ground, often Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia and Libya. P e h at great distance from war zones. While t t s n ground troops launch drones from the Despite claims that drones are ‘precision i a g conflict zone, their operation is then handed weapons’, many hundreds of civilians have a s e to controllers who ‘fly’ the missions remotely been killed in US drone attacks in Pakistan m i 18 r on video screens.