By Al Ahed Staff, Agencies
"Israeli" arms companies pitched weapons systems to dozens of European and Asian countries by highlighting their role in "Israel’s" onslaught against Palestinians in Gaza.
"Israel’s" so-called “Defense Tech Week” took place on Monday and Tuesday. It was sponsored in part by the occupation entity's war ministry along with "Tel Aviv" University.
According to The Wall Street Journal, at least one video was shown at the event of two "Israeli" attack drones flying into a building in Gaza before plumes of smoke emerged.
“Israel's” war on Gaza has martyred over 70,100 Palestinians since 7 October 2023, with many calling it genocide.
Ceasefire violations persist, causing daily deaths. Yet "Israel's" tech event drew over 2,000 participants, including those from abroad.
Representatives of Asian countries, including Uzbekistan, Singapore and India, attended, according to the WSJ, but also several European countries that have tried to show they are distancing themselves from "Israel".
Their participation in the "Israeli" event showed how skin-deep that censure was.
For example, "Israeli" officials were banned by the UK government from attending the country's leading arms fair in London. The government said in a statement that "Israeli" officials would not be allowed to attend due to the country's continuing assault on Gaza. Dozens of "Israeli" arms companies with ties to the government were still allowed to participate.
This week, British embassy officials toured the event, looking at "Israeli" weapons systems and military technology being marketed, in part, based on their role in "Israel’s" assaults on Gaza and Lebanon.
The British embassy in "Israel" confirmed to the WSJ that its officials attended the event.
Another example is Norway, whose officials attended the arms fair.
In August, Norway's sovereign wealth fund, the largest in the world, said it had divested from American construction equipment manufacturer Caterpillar Inc., and five "Israeli" banks over human rights violations in Gaza.
The $1.9 trillion fund's executive board said it had decided to divest from all six entities following advice by its ethics council, which said they all “contribute to serious violations of the rights of individuals in situations of war and conflict”.
However, Norwegian officials also attended the event, according to the WSJ. The sovereign wealth fund is owned by the government but managed independently of political decisions.
"Israel" has seen its popularity plummet since its war on Gaza. A poll released by Pew in June showed that from Italy to Japan, most people in the world now hold negative views of "Israel".
That shift has also occurred in the US, where it is especially stark among young people who identify on both the left and right of American politics.
A Pew poll in April found that young Republicans, those under the age of 50, are now more likely to have an unfavorable view of "Israel", with 50% polling in that direction. Support for "Israel" among Democratic voters was already lower before October 7, 2023.
Still, governments worldwide have shown a strong appetite for "Israeli" military hardware.
"Israeli" arms exports hit an all-time high of $14.7bn in 2024, according to the "Israeli" war ministry, including a sharp rise in deals with Arab states.
Around 57% of the agreements signed in 2024 were "mega-deals" valued at least $100m each, the ministry said in a statement released in June, adding that "operational achievements" in the war on Gaza drove demand.
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