Monday, July 25, 2005
War is business
When societies depend upon production and selling of arms, they are functioning in a war economy. War is supposed to be bad for business, markets are supposed to be terrified of instability, but again and again, war consolidates a society based on arms economy. Peace must be bad for business. At least, this must be the case with Israel.
Israel produces and sells weapons like it’s nobody’s business. An excerpt from Global Security.org gives us an indication of this industry, much of it state run, but a lot of it private as well.
"There are approximately 150 defense firms in Israel, with combined revenues of an estimated $3.5 billion. The three largest entities are the government-owned IAI, IMI and the Rafael Arms Development Authority, all of which produce a wide range of conventional arms and advanced defense electronics. The medium-sized privately owned companies include Elbit Systems and the Tadiran Group, which focus mainly on defense electronics. The smaller firms produce a narrower range of products. In all, the industry employs close to 50,000 people, all of whom share a commitment to high levels of research and development and the ability to make use of the IDF's combat experience.
Israel's defense exports are coordinated and regulated through SIBAT - the Foreign Defense Assistance and Defense Export Organization - which is run by the Ministry of Defense. SIBAT's tasks include licensing all defense exports as well as marketing products developed for the IDF, from electronic components to missile boats and tanks. Each year, SIBAT publishes a defense sales directory, an authoritative guide to what the industry has to offer."
Remember, the Israelis make sure that the Palestinian Kassam missiles end up on the TV news. Palestine doesn't have a regular army, nor an industry and it seems their only production is the short range Kassam 3, going no further than 10 Km. Israel is always expressing their terror over the Syrian Scuds, and now, the paranoia that Iran is developing long range missiles….Seeing that they are a threat militarily to their neighbours and to the rest of the world with their own arsenal and sales seems to be the height of chutzpah.
Don't they think about how it might feel to be one of Israel's neighbours? With that stockpile and arsenal of every kind of weapon or technological spying device known to humanity right there, breathing down their necks?
Israel produces and sells weapons like it’s nobody’s business. An excerpt from Global Security.org gives us an indication of this industry, much of it state run, but a lot of it private as well.
"There are approximately 150 defense firms in Israel, with combined revenues of an estimated $3.5 billion. The three largest entities are the government-owned IAI, IMI and the Rafael Arms Development Authority, all of which produce a wide range of conventional arms and advanced defense electronics. The medium-sized privately owned companies include Elbit Systems and the Tadiran Group, which focus mainly on defense electronics. The smaller firms produce a narrower range of products. In all, the industry employs close to 50,000 people, all of whom share a commitment to high levels of research and development and the ability to make use of the IDF's combat experience.
Israel's defense exports are coordinated and regulated through SIBAT - the Foreign Defense Assistance and Defense Export Organization - which is run by the Ministry of Defense. SIBAT's tasks include licensing all defense exports as well as marketing products developed for the IDF, from electronic components to missile boats and tanks. Each year, SIBAT publishes a defense sales directory, an authoritative guide to what the industry has to offer."
Remember, the Israelis make sure that the Palestinian Kassam missiles end up on the TV news. Palestine doesn't have a regular army, nor an industry and it seems their only production is the short range Kassam 3, going no further than 10 Km. Israel is always expressing their terror over the Syrian Scuds, and now, the paranoia that Iran is developing long range missiles….Seeing that they are a threat militarily to their neighbours and to the rest of the world with their own arsenal and sales seems to be the height of chutzpah.
Don't they think about how it might feel to be one of Israel's neighbours? With that stockpile and arsenal of every kind of weapon or technological spying device known to humanity right there, breathing down their necks?
