Stop The Wall
York Branch
Nuclear Weapons
According to the Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Israel is the world's sixth largest nuclear power, with a stockpile of more than 100 nuclear weapons.
For further information go to http://www.wisconsinproject.org/countries/israel/nuke.html
Mordechai Vanuna was a technician at the Dimona Nuclear Installation in Israel, where he discovered that Israel was secretly producing nuclear weapons. In 1986 he took his evidence to the Sunday Times newspaper which exposed Israel's secret and illegal nuclear arms project. As a result of this he was kidnapped and taken back to Israel, where he has been in prison to this very day.
He is due for release on 21st April 2004, after serving 18 years in prison for simply speaking the truth.
Find out more about the free Vanuna campaign at http://www.vanunu.freeserve.co.uk/
UK Arms Trade
The arms trade between Israel and the UK has flourished for many years. UK equipment sold to Israel in recent years includes high caliber weapons, bombs, torpedoes, rockets, missiles, mines and military imaging equipment. In 1999 - 2000 alone over 300 export licenses were granted for military exports to Israel. This is despite the fact that under EU trade guidelines export licenses cannot be issued 'where there is a clearly identifiable risk that the equipment might be used for internal repression or adversely affect regional stability'. However, no attempts are made a scrutiny of the end use of such weaponry, though it is clear that both UK and US arms are used regularly to repress, kill and maim Palestinian civilians.
The UK still imports military equipment from Israel, effectively subsidising the Israeli war machine. Imports include bomblets and ammunition used by the British police. The two countries currently have joint research projects to develop new weapons.
Article taken from 'Why Palestine?', published by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Available from the York PSC stall.