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'Israel' fears 'snowball effect' of Western arms embargo after Canada

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
21 Mar 2024 16:56
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Israeli media says the Israeli military industry fears other countries would follow suit with Canada's decision to stop weapons exports to the occupation amid the ongoing war on Gaza.

Israeli artillery fires toward Gaza with dozens of shells stocked around in January, 2024. (AFP)

Canada decided earlier this week to halt exports of weapons to the Israeli occupation following months of growing public pressure amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

While Canada is not a major arms supplier to "Israel" compared to other countries, the concern is that this move could lead to a larger trend among Western nations who might follow suit, creating a domino effect of countries halting arms sales to the entity, the Israeli Globes website reported.

Fears of a snowball effect that puts greater pressure on Israelis comes as the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza revealed on Thursday that, on the 167th day of the war on the Strip, the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli occupation forces since October 7 has risen to 31,988, with 74,188 others injured.

Based on data from the Canadian government, arms exports to the entity amounted to only $15 million in 2022. Over the period from 2019 to 2023, Israeli imports of weapons from Canada accounted for just 0.05% of the occupation's total military imports.

By way of comparison, UK arms exports to "Israel" amounted to $53 million in 2022, while German arms exports reached $35 million in the same year. In contrast, US military aid to the entity in 2022 alone reached $3.3 billion.

The US offers 'Israel' weapons lifeline

The most devastating impact would be if the US decided to suspend deliveries of weapons to "Israel," which has totals of billions per year, and is currently the lifeline for the occupation's war on Gaza.

Washington has not enforced any arms restrictions on "Israel" since 2000, when it declined to sell parts for combat helicopters used in targeted killings during the Second Intifada. But the decision was later revoked and $1 billion in military assistance was added after 9/11.

With the martyrs' toll in Gaza now reaching 32,000 and the UN warning of an imminent famine due to the entity's starvation policy, more US officials - coupled with a significant number of American citizens - are demanding that weapons to "Israel" be scrutinzed, or suspended entirely.

But the US repeatedly announced that it has "no red lines" regarding arms supplies to Israelis.

Last week, Israeli Security Minister Yoav Gallant sent a signed letter to President Joe Biden claiming that the entity is committed to utilizing US weapons in compliance with international law. The letter also allegedly assured the allowance of "US-supported" humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Similarly, the UK is falling under heavy pressure to cease its weapons sales to "Israel." Recent reports in the British media suggest that the London would contemplate a complete arms embargo on the entity "If it attacks Rafah" under the current conditions.

Vulnerable to the snowball effect

Several countries have imposed arms embargoes on the occupation since the war began last October, Italy being one of them. This happened despite the close relationship between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu.

Between 2013 and 2022, Italy exported around $130 million worth of military hardware to "Israel," mainly comprising components for combat and training aircraft, as reported by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

About a month ago, The Hague ordered a halt to the transfer of F-35 aircraft parts from US army warehouses in the Netherlands to "Israel." However, the entity quickly found alternative sources for the parts despite the court's decision, averting any shortages, Globes reported, citing sources.

Italy and the Netherlands are not major suppliers to "Israel", so their measures did not have a much noticeable impact on "Israel". However, Germany, on the other hand, is a major exporter of weapons and military equipment to the occupation.

Similar to other world powers, Berlin is also facing rising international and domestic pressure to take action against Israelis to end the genocide in Gaza. According to Globes, Berlin is now considered "vulnerable to the snowball effect," which is causing concerns in the entity.

During a trip to "Israel" last Sunday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed concern regarding the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Meanwhile, German arms exports to "Israel" surged since last October, scoring $351 million - which is ten times higher than the amount sold in 2022.

Left-wing German parties began publicly objecting to the "indiscriminate supply" of arms to the entity, saying it has committed "war crimes."

Even without selling arms to "Israel," pumping cash into the Israeli military industry by purchasing their weapons also makes countries complicit in the ongoing genocide in the Strip.

According to SIPRI's recent analysis of international military equipment trade over the past five years, "Israel" is the second-largest supplier to Germany (16%) and the third-largest to the UK (2.7%), it is also a major supplier to Morocco (11%), India (37%), and the Philippines (12%).