AMMAN — In 2016, the author of
“The Cruel Experiments of Israel’s Arms Industry,” originally published in
Electronic Intifada, Matt Kennard highlighted the controversial experiments of
Israel's arms industry in the Electronic Intifada. The story centers around
Ramallah's main hospital, where human rights investigator Iyad Haddad reveals
the grim reality of Israel's occupation through his macabre collection of spent
ammunition and tear gas canisters, accumulated over three decades of
documenting Israeli forces' violence in the occupied territories. Amidst
Israel’s war on Gaza,
Jordan News takes a deep dive into three reports on
Israel’s weapons being tested on Palestinians.
اضافة اعلان
A testing ground for Israeli
weaponry
Haddad contends that frequent
protests against Israel's wall and settlements unintentionally become a testing
ground for Israeli weaponry. Neve Gordon, a politics professor, describes the
occupied territories as a laboratory where Israel refines, tests, and markets
new arms, strategically presenting them as "battle-proven" to the
global market.
Showcase the effectiveness of
weapons
Abdallah Abu Rahmah, coordinator
of the Popular Struggle Committee in Bilin, shares how his village's
decade-long protests result in night raids and arrests by the Israeli military,
which he claims are used to showcase the effectiveness of weapons like skunk
water for international marketing.
Major players in Israel's arms
industry, including Israel Aerospace Industries, Elbit, Rafael, and Israel Military
Industries, dominate the narrative. 75 percent of weapons exported are tested
on Palestinians, raising concerns among critics like human rights lawyer Eitay
Mack, who questions the morality of using Palestinians as test subjects for
foreign arms companies.
5 percent of the GDP
Against the backdrop of Israel
allocating more than 5 percent of its GDP to the military, the nation emerges
as a significant global player in the arms trade. While some argue that
marketing weapons as "battle-proven" is a legitimate strategy, critics
emphasize the ethical concerns surrounding the exploitation of occupied
territories as testing grounds.
Yet again, the story resurfaced
in August, with writer Anthony Lowenstein, blatantly stating that the Israeli
state uses a range of tools and technologies to “battle-test” its weapons on
besieged Palestinians.
The country’s success is
attributed to using it on the occupied population
The country's success is
attributed to its experience in controlling an occupied population,
particularly the Palestinians and exporting the technology and tactics
developed during the occupation.
Israel's arms sales reached a
record US$12.5 billion in 2022
Israel's arms sales reached a
record US$12.5 billion in 2022. Israeli technology, such as facial recognition
tools and drones, to test and perfect weapons on Palestinians. While there are
some public opponents of Israel's arms trade within the country, such as human
rights lawyer Eitay Mack and Orthodox rabbi Avidan Freedman, Lowenstein
questioned the credibility of those living in illegal settlements or with
histories of settler violence against Palestinians.
An insurance policy against
potential future pressure on the state
The expansion of Israel's weapons
industry is seen as an insurance policy against potential future pressure on
the state. Many states worldwide rely on Israeli spyware, defense equipment,
and weapons, which makes them less likely to condemn Israel's permanent
occupation of Palestine.
And yet again, the question of
Israel’s mass weaponry returns
On November 17, Paddy Dowling
from Al Jazeera, took it on, yet again. Israel’s massive weaponry. In footage
on October 22 the Israeli army released footage on October 22 of its Maglan
commando unit deploying a new precision-guided 120mm mortar bomb called the
Iron Sting, against Hamas in Gaza.
The bomb’s Haifa-based
manufacturer, Elbit Systems, has been advertising its qualities on the public
relations page of its website since March 2021, when it was integrated into the
Israeli military.
Unknown weapon
According to the spokesperson for
the Ministry of Health in Gaza, in a statement in early November, he said that
observed severe burns on the bodies of Palestinians who were killed and wounded
by Israel’s bombs – whether caused by an unknown weapon or not – is something
they have not seen in previous conflicts”.
Dr. Ahmed el-Mokhallalati from
the burn and plastic surgery division at al-Shifa Hospital, in an interview
with the Toronto Star, described the wounds as “very deep – third and
fourth-degree burns and the skin tissue is impregnated with black particles and
most of the skin thickness and all the layers underneath are burned down to the
bone.”
As the war between Israel and
Gaza continues, the specific weaponry employed since October 7 remains unknown.
However, the uncertainty surrounding the current weaponry does not negate
Israel's historical use of such weapons against Palestinians.
SOURCES:
Dirty secret of Israel’s weapons exports: They’re tested on Palestinians
Israel’s deadly weapons laboratory aimed at Palestinians
The Cruel Experiments of Israel’s Arms Industry
Read more Region and World
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