Australian arms companies and Israel’s human rights violations
AUSTRALIAN ARMS COMPANIES AND ISRAEL’S WAR CRIMES
Many Australian companies supply weapons components for arms and military hardware used by Israel against Palestinians. According to international law, it is illegal to knowingly allow weapons to go to a country or entity perpetrating war crimes. Australia has approved 322 defence exports to Israel over the past six years (2017-2022), according to new figures released by DFAT.
In November legal action was taken in Australia by Palestinian human rights organisations Al-Haq, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) in conjunction with the Australian Centre for International Justice to obtain information on Australia’s arms exports to Israel since October 7, 2023.
TAKE ACTION: END ARMS TO ISRAEL and STOP ELBIT
F-35 jet fighter aircraft
Australia is part of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter global supply chain which supplies parts and components to Israel’s F-35 jets which are enabling Israel’s war crimes in Gaza.
More than 70 Australian companies have been awarded contracts for the development, production and sustainment of the F-35, valued at AU$3 billion.
Key components for this aircraft are manufactured in Australia – including uplock actuators and weapons adaptors – both enabling bombs to be released by these jets onto Palestinian civilians in Gaza since October 7.
Rosebank Engineering in Melbourne produces uplock actuators which are essential for the operation of the weapons bay doors, and Ferra Engineering in Brisbane is the exclusive manufacturer of the weapons adaptors for the F-35 jets. These components are crucial for the release of munitions from these jet fighters.
READ MORE HERE