Israeli military supplies align us with the world’s reactionaries

Vanguard March 2012 p. 2
Nick G

Six guns for the navy’s new air warfare destroyers (AWD), currently under construction in Adelaide, were delivered recently by Israeli weapons manufacturer Rafael Advanced Defence Systems.

Rafael was established by the Zionist occupation regime in 1948 as the innocuously-named Science Corp. It was privatised in 2002 although the Israeli government remains the largest shareholder.

Doing business with the Israeli war machine further cements Australia into alliances with the most reactionary political forces on the globe.

Rather than doing anything for the defence of Australia, it integrates our military forces into their role as a subsidiary to the US military.

The guns, which cost around $15m, are Typhoon Mark 25 Mod 2 guns and are designed to be used against small surface craft.  No-one has defined which of our neighbours might threaten us with small surface craft.

Rafael is spruiking for further business with the Australian military and was an exhibitor at PACIFIC 2012 – the so-called International Maritime Exposition – which was held from January 31 to February 3 in Sydney.

It has an expanding presence in our region, with Singapore having purchased its Iron Dome counter-rocket weapons; South Korea, India and Australia having purchased its Popeye missiles; and a joint venture having been signed with India’s  state-owned Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) to develop advanced missile systems.

Rafael and the notorious US weapons contractor Raytheon co-produce Stunner terminal missile defense interceptors. Raytheon has offices and a small manufacturing facility near the AWD site at Port Adelaide.

Rafael remains a major supplier to the aggressive Israeli war machine and has developed for it a nuclear-tipped submarine-launched cruise missile.  It is also literally on the front line of the suppression of the Palestinian people, having developed a networked remotely operated weapon system already “guarding” the borderline along the Gaza strip.

An independent and socialist Australia will possess a defence capacity, but it will not serve imperialist interests and will align us with the aspirations of the poor and oppressed around the globe.