Israel is one of the few countries that has had violence constantly forced upon it. It has had to fight three major wars for its existence, in 1947-49, in 1967, and in 1973. It has fought smaller wars, too: the Sinai Campaign in 1956, the three recent wars in Gaza — in 2008-2009, 2012, and 2014 — against Hamas, as well as an endless campaign against Arab terrorists inside Israel and the territories. Israel must, unfortunately, make use of the weapons it buys. It thus tests them out on the battlefield. If Israel successfully uses British weapons, and the Israelis have a long history of successfully using their weapons — then other potential buyers on the world market will find them more appealing. If the British defense industry can no longer supply Israel, it will not have that battlefield testing of its weapons, that real-life advertisement for their efficacy.
Will a British embargo really hurt Israel? Licences issued to UK defense contractors exporting to Israel in 2017 included those for targeting equipment, small arms ammunition, missiles, weapon sights and sniper rifles. In 2016, the UK issued licences for anti-armour ammunition, gun mountings, components for air-to-air missiles, targeting equipment, components for assault rifles, components for grenade-launchers and anti-riot shields. None of these, with the possible exception of the “components for air-to-air missiles” and “missiles,” are major items. None of them seem to be the kind of thing that Israel could not find from another supplier. Unlike, say, Israel’s own Iron Dome technology, or now its “steel dome” anti-tunnel technology that has been developed with the Americans, there is nothing the British can offer that is unique to them.
There is another aspect to consider. Corbyn may not care, but many in the security services of the United Kingdom certainly do care, about what Israel can offer, not just in weapons systems of its own, but in its intelligence capability. Israel has for years faced an extraordinary threat from Muslim terrorists. Now much of the world faces the same kind, if not the same level, of threat. Israel has during that time developed intelligence networks, both human and technological, that are unrivaled, and of obvious interest to other governments. One government that has collaborated with Israel, receiving information about Iran and such allied terrorist threats as Hezbollah, is Saudi Arabia. Last year, Great Britain was the European nation that suffered the most attacks by Muslim terrorists. It needs whatever help other countries can give. Israel has the expertise — again, both human and technological — that could help detect and foil such threats. Its knowledge is not limited to terrorists in the Middle East. The European nations ought to be solidifying their security ties to Israel, for their own benefit. None of them has had the experience of terrorism that Israel has endured for decades, nor do they have the expertise its agents have developed. There are many acts of Israeli derring-do, of eliminating terrorists in Damascus, or in hotels in the Gulf, or in the capitals of Europe.There have been the assassinations of four Iranian nuclear scientists right in the middle of Tehran, that set back their nuclear program for a long time.
The Israelis also devised Stuxnet (with some help from the Americans), a diabolically clever computer worm that does little or no harm to computers not involved in uranium enrichment. When it infects a computer, it checks to see if that computer is connected to specific models of programmable logic controllers (PLCs) manufactured by Siemens. PLCs are how computers interact with and control industrial machinery like uranium centrifuges. The worm then alters the PLCs’ programming, resulting in the centrifuges being spun too quickly and for too long, damaging or destroying the delicate equipment in the process. While this is happening, the PLCs tell the controller computer that everything is working fine, making it difficult to detect or diagnose what’s going wrong until it’s too late. That is not something that Jeremy Corbyn, who has never said a word about Iran’s nuclear project, would probably care about. He doesn’t realize how much the Israelis have done, in protecting themselves by delaying Iran’s plans, to also protect the West. Nor does Corbyn ever discuss Islamic terrorism. So why would he care if Israel continues to be of inestimable value to the West in helping foil Islamic terrorists, if he doesn’t think that such terrorism is much of a problem? For Corbyn, the only problem that haunts him is the existence of Israel, that vast outpost, the last remaining example of Western colonialism, that doth bestride the world like a colossus.
In considering the wisdom of an arms embargo, Corbyn should be reminded of Israel’s extraordinary advances and innovations in weapons technology, right across the board: the Merkava battle tank, the Spike missile system, the Tavor assault rifle, the Jericho III intercontinental ballistic missile, the Iron Dome defense, and the many improvements Israel has made to American weapons and systems of all kinds.. Some of these just might be useful to the British military. But these technological feats are of no concern to Corbyn; he’s not interested in arms; he doesn’t believe in war; he’s a disarmament enthusiast from way back. His grasp of geopolitical reality does not go much beyond Islington. He’s interested in arms embargoes, or rather in one particular arms embargo, the one he wishes to impose on Israel. (We’ll get to Saudi Arabia, China, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, and other arms customers who don’t appear to bother him at all, a bit later). Corbyn sees Israel not as a tiny permanently imperiled country but as an implacable and powerful colonialist entity, an outpost of the West (Corbyn doesn’t much care for the West, he likes the Third World), using the Holocaust as a way to justify its oppression of the poor “Palestinians.” He doesn’t want to arm a state like that.
Israel would have something to lose if Corbyn were to declare an arms embargo. But it would not lose nearly as much as Corbyn thinks, for so much of what Israel buys from the U.K. is the kind of thing that can be bought elsewhere. It is the U.K. that would be shooting itself in the foot, by damaging so dramatically its relations with the one Western country that, because of its long experience of dealing with Islamic terrorism and terrorist networks, knows best how to uncover, infiltrate, foil, and fight them. The knowledge Israel has acquired has been shared with the West, and has helped to have saved Western lives. Corbyn may not know this. Were he to become Prime Minister, he would then be privy to all sorts of secrets. He would learn the full extent of the terrorist threat inside the U.K. He would learn, too, how much the British, and other European, security services rely on information that is supplied by Israel. Perhaps even that knowledge wouldn’t change his determination to impose an arms embargo, one that would spell the end of any cooperation with Israel. Or perhaps, mugged by reality with the first terror attack that occurs when he is the resident of 10 Downing Street, he will shift course, and if not embrace, at least not push away, those “Zionists” that for now he so implacably disfavors.
rw says
Mr Corbyn’s biographical details indicate that as a schoolboy he managed just two Es at A-level. This means that he is extraordinarily light in the intellectual department for someone who is leading a major political party; rather shocking really. It would also suggest that he is someone who would be easily manipulated
mortimer says
KKKorbyn is being ‘manipulate’ by the Muslim Brotherhood as we can clearly see by his support for Hamas and hatred of Israel.
It was appalling to see him adopt the Muslim position of prayer while his Hamas pals honored dead TERRORISTS!
If KKKorbyn boldly honors terrorists while in opposition, he may be counted on to FUND and ENCOURAGE the TERRORISTS POLITICALLY should he form a government. (God forbid.)
Rarely says
Excellent analysis .
Anti-Semitism is, by its very nature, irrational and rarely, if ever, erased by the facts. Corbyn has repeatedly shown the same irrational hatred towards Israel (he seems obsessed) so that it is easy to project that to a deep anti-Semitism. Of course one may be against some of Israel’s policies without being anti-Semitic but he goes far beyond that to the point of actually supporting Israel’s destruction.
Do not expect his vicious attitude towards Israel to change under any circumstances,
mortimer says
Agree. KKKorbyn is “PROJECTING” his inner demons onto Jews.
Jake says
Boycotts of Israel only hurt it in the short term. Long term a refusal to sell will strengthen Israel. The Israelis have always figured out how manage by themselves, without whatever it is someone is refusing to sell to them. Pepsi would not sell to Israel. But Pepsi eventually bought Soda Stream for a few billion from the Israelis. If the UK boycotts whatever it is they are selling to Israel, some Israeli will figure out how to make a better product and go into competition with the UK.
James Lincoln says
Jake,
Well said. Yes, the Israelis are very smart – and very resourceful.
No sane country would mess with them.
Insane countries, when messing with Israel, always get the crapola beaten out of them.
Jeff S says
There is in fact a lot of military cooperation between Britain and Israel. It’s just not publicized. The British military values it highly. There are also a lot of unique British weapons that the Israelis are not allowed to get their hands on. On the other hand, if Corbyn gets into power, he can be expected to all but abolish the armed forces up to and including Britain’s nuclear deterrent. Essentially, he will be dismantling the country.
George Williams says
I do not believe the motivation described in this story at all. Corbyn is interested in only one thing, Corbyn, and how attacking Israel will put him in good stead with the Muslims for his eventual election to Prime Minister.
Michael Budinger says
What does one expect, Corbyn is an anti Semite and pro muslim terrorism supporter, he even hates his own peoples, white, working class and British. But then Labour behind the scenes always has been.
gravenimage says
Hugh Fitzgerald: Jeremy Corbyn Calls For an Arms Embargo on Israel (Part II)
……………..
Of course this vicious antisemitic thug wants to see Israel destroyed by Jihadists. *Ugh*.