Nov 01 2024
Earlier this year it was revealed that the Federal Government will use taxpayers’ money to fund a $917 million contract with Elbit Systems – Israel’s largest privately-owned arms company. Today we're joined by organiser with the Elbit Out of Victoria campaign Nat to take a close look at just one of the military partnerships the Australian Government is using our money to fund, the various ways that these relationships are enabled and the influence they have on our community locally and globally.We open the program with an excerpt of independent political analyst Hashmat Moslih, speaking at the ‘Your Taxes Fund Weapons’ Community Forum held at the Coburg Town Hall on 29 October and you can watch the full presentation on the Renegade Activists you tube channel.Elbit produces numerous weapons, is a key research and development partner to the Israeli Ministry of Defense, and Elbit surveillance technology and military equipment is used to maintain Israel’s illegal occupation of the West Bank and blockade of the Gaza Strip. Elbit markets its weapons systems, including drones, as “battle-proven”, meaning that they have been used against Palestinians living under Israel’s deadly military occupation. The company has been involved in many controversial arms deals, and has been previously banned for producing illegal weapons such as cluster munitions and white phosphorous. Elbit systems also supplies weapons to the Myanmar Junta to attack the Rohingya and the Indonesian military to oppress the West Papuan population, among others. In 2021 the Australian Defence force began stripping Elbit systems out of their equipment due to serious security risks they believed the systems posed. There have been many successful Boycott Divestment and Sanction campaigns against Elbit: the Royal Flying Doctor Service rejected Elbit’s tender for flight training equipment following a campaign by Palestinian supporters, including BDS Australia in 2017; HSBC and AXA Investment Managers divested from Elbit in 2018 due to its involvement in the production of cluster munitions and white phosphorus shells; the City of Liverpool in the UK cancelled the 2020 Elbit-sponsored Electronic Warfare Europe arms fair after a campaign of 40,000 emails protesting at the city’s involvement; and the 2021 arms fair in Seville, Spain, was cancelled by the City Council, also on ethical grounds. Japanese trading giant Itochu Corp’s aviation arm announced in February that it was suspending all work with Elbit “Taking into consideration the International Court of Justice’s order on January 26, and that the Japanese government supports the role of the court".Links & Events:Music on the show is 'First Casualty' by Pataphysics from his 2017 album Tip of the Spear. Pataphysics will be joining an epic line up of guests to play at the 'Stop Genocide' humanitarian fundraiser to raise funds for Sovereign grassroots activists so they can keep up the fight to stop genocide here and globally, at Miscellania, 401 Swanston St on Sunday 3 November from 2pm - 1am.Sunday 3 November at 10.30am there’s the 'Rally for Native Forests' organised by the Bob Brown foundation and in Naarm it starts at Princes Park.The weekly Rally for Palestine is at midday at the State Library.There’s a fire ceremony at Camp Sovereignty at 2pm with Djuran Bunjileenee Robbie Thorpe.Don't Nuke the Climate invites you to attend our online session on 'Defeating Dutton’s Nuclear Power Plans / Federal Parliamentary Inquiry' this coming Wednesday November 6.To learn more about the inquiry and to make a submission: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House/Select_Committee_on_Nuclear_Energy/NuclearpowerThese notes might be helpful in making your submission: https://assets.nationbuilder.com/friendsofearthmelbourne/pages/9246/attachments/original/1730077881/2024_federal__nuclear_power_inquiry_notes.pdf?1730077881If you don’t have time to make your own submission, please take a minute to sign this pro-forma submission: https://www.melbournefoe.org.au/nuclear_power_submission_2024