Independent data collected reveals varying European strategies in military support to Israel, one year into the Palestinian conflict, which now threatens to destabilise the entire Middle East region.
“Although only three countries supplied major arms to Israel in 2019–23, the United States, Germany and Italy, many others supplied military components, ammunition or services,” the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) writes.
Among the top 10 arms exporters in the world, SIPRI says Italy and Spain ceased signing arms deals with Israel, while France continued supplying components for defence equipment.
SIPRI’s research focuses on how arms exports continued flowing into Israel after 7 October 2023, when Israeli authorities vowed to destroy the Gaza-based terrorist group, Hamas, which attacked the Israelis by surprise.
One year later, the conflict raging between the two sides threatens to engulf the entire region in a full-blown war. Last week, Iran launched 180 missiles at Israel in response to the country bombing southern Lebanon, and killing Hezbollah’s leader, Iran’s proxy in the country and region.
Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip alone, the home of Hamas, has made at least 1.9 million people (one in ten people) leave their homes in the past year, and killed at least 40,000 people according to the UN.
Despite attempts to stop the conflict diplomatically, the only advances made have been short humanitarian cease-fires.
The death toll and atrocities committed on the ground by both parties and the risk of a regional war, have pushed some countries to halt defence equipment deliveries, notably Italy and Spain.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday (6 October) that arms exports to Israel should cease to allow for a diplomatic end to the conflict.
Europeans, however, do not see eye to eye when it comes to having a unified position on Israel’s military strategy.
Iran supports the Hamas group, according to available information gathered by news outlet Axios, which Euractiv cannot verify.
For the past ten years, Israel greatly increased its imports of defence equipment, writes SIRPRI.
The country accounted for 2.1% of arms imports globally, ranking as the 15th world’s largest arms importer during the 2019-2023 period, the five years leading up to the Hamas attack on 7 October last year.
By comparison, it ranked 47th in the previous five-year period (2009-2013), estimates SIPRI.
Israel had a prolific home-grown arms industry. But also counts on several countries to provide them with additional military capabilities.
SIPRI’s research and data show that Germany supplied 30% of Israel’s imports of “major arms” between 2019 and 2023. The majority were frigates and torpedoes for the naval forces, and 8,5% of the total were for armoured vehicle engines, “including those for armoured vehicles used in the Gaza war,” says SIPRI.
Reuters reported that Germany stopped approving exports, because of legal and political pressure, as the country could be breaching international law. However, an official German ban on exports to Israel has not been announced.
Just last September Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he had no intention of stopping his country’s arms supplies.
Germany, the world’s 5th largest arms exporter, comes just behind the US, for sending military support to Israel.
Washington remains the first supplier of conventional weapons to Israel, accounting for 69% of Israel’s arms imports, including “a variety of major arms, including aircraft, armoured vehicles, missiles and ships,” according to SIPRI.
Italy, another major European arms exporter, supplied Israel, although its contribution is far smaller. Exports included helicopters, naval guns for the German-supplied frigates, and parts for the US-made F-35 fighter jet.
Rome, however, stopped signing contracts after 7 October last year. Madrid – which recognised Palestine as an independent state earlier this year – also ceased arms deals.
It is unclear what France has supplied to Israel in the past year. According to SIRPRI, no major arms deal took place after 1998. But components continue to flow, including parts for drones monitoring Gaza, an investigation by Disclose alleged.
The UK kept issuing licenses, but there is no official record of what the sales involved.
According to SIPRI, among the top 10 arms exporters, Russia and China – ranked 3rd and 4th global exporters – “are not known to supply any arms to Israel.” South Korea’s exports are “minimal”. Israel, itself the 10th largest exporter, was excluded from the analysis.
[Edited by Rajnish Singh]
Source link : https://www.euractiv.com/section/global-europe/news/data-reveals-shift-in-european-arms-exports-to-israel-amid-ongoing-war/
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Publish date : 2024-10-07 04:07:58
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