[News] Israel's killer robots go on display at Greek weapons fair

[Anti-Imperialist News]

electronicintifada.net
<https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/david-cronin/israels-killer-robots-go-display-greek-weapons-fair>
Israel's
killer robots go on display at Greek weapons fair

David Cronin <https://electronicintifada.net/people/david-cronin> - 15 July
2021
------------------------------

Was Yair Lapid (left) acting as a salesperson for Israel’s weapons when he
visited Europe this week? (NATO
<https://www.nato.int/nato_static_fl2014/assets/pictures/images_mfu/2021/7/12a-visit-mfa-israel/210712a-001.jpg>
)

There was talk
<https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage/101613/foreign-affairs-council-remarks-high-representativevice-president-josep-borrell-upon-arrival_en>
of a “fresh start” when Yair Lapid visited Brussels this week.

Israel’s foreign minister was on a mission to “reboot”
<https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-europe-lapid-tells-nato-chief-israel-wants-to-deepen-ties/>
relations with Europe.

But behind his fresh facade lurked something rotten and sinister.

Lapid wasn’t simply visiting to charm those EU representatives who are
always impressed by smartly dressed liberals. He also paid a trip to the
headquarters of NATO, a military alliance dominated by the US.

A tweet from Alon Ushpiz, the top official in Israel’s foreign ministry
indicated that Lapid was making a sales pitch. The discussions with NATO’s
administration were part of a “continuous effort to strengthen our
cooperation first and foremost on technology,” Ushpiz stated.

This is an important meeting in the continuous effort to strengthen our
cooperation first and foremost on technology https://t.co/z71qNsTjRo
— Alon Ushpiz (@AlonUshpiz) July 12, 2021
<https://twitter.com/AlonUshpiz/status/1414643143882969091?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>

The technology to which he refers has often been tested on Palestinians.

Israel’s attack on Gaza during May offered an opportunity to expand the use
of advanced military equipment.

A recent article in *Defense Update* – a website promoting
<https://defense-update.com/3_about-us> Israel’s war industry – explains
<https://defense-update.com/20210521_ict.html> how the attack was
facilitated by the latest version of the Elbit Systems’ Digital Army
Program.

“We dramatically shortened the time of closing Sensor-to-Shooter processes.
The core delivering this capability is Elbit System’s TORCH 750, the main
C4ISR of @IDF <https://twitter.com/IDF?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>”. Brig. Gen.
Yariv Nir, chief communications & IT officer to @defenceupdate
<https://twitter.com/defenceupdate?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>.
https://t.co/jgWCa3yQlE pic.twitter.com/WBE5N6VlJu <https://t.co/WBE5N6VlJu>
— Elbit Systems (@ElbitSystemsLtd) June 1, 2021
<https://twitter.com/ElbitSystemsLtd/status/1399681111748497410?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>

The program gathers information about “all activities related to enemy
actions.” By doing so, the Israeli military could “accelerate the targeting
process,” the article states. Killing faster?

During its May offensive, Israel deliberately targeted
<https://electronicintifada.net/content/death-without-warning/33416>
civilian infrastructure and carried out massacres
<https://electronicintifada.net/content/al-wihda-street-massacre/33366> of
civilians.

Moreover, Israel regards millions of Palestinians as enemies. Back in 2007,
Israel designated <https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/sep/20/israel1>
the entire Gaza Strip as a “hostile entity.”

So what is a weapons trade website really saying when it enthuses about how
technology can “accelerate the targeting process”? Does it mean that Israel
can now kill children and other non-combatants faster than before?

Elbit is Israel’s top weapons firm
<https://www.defensenews.com/top-100/2021/07/12/riding-the-wave-defense-revenues-rise-despite-a-dark-2020/>
.

Since the May attack, Elbit has proven that it is attractive to investors
by raising
<https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-elbit-systems-raises-nis-19b-debt-in-tel-aviv-1001377130>
almost $580 million worth of capital in Tel Aviv. Elbit will use some of
this money to expand its business in the US and Europe, the firm has stated.

As part of efforts to boost exports, Elbit is now taking part in Defence
Exhibition Athens. That fair is sponsored
<https://defea.gr/exhibitors/official-partners/> by the Greek government,
which has become a major client of Elbit in recent years.

The Israel & Hellenic Ministries of Defense have signed the biggest defense
agreement to date between Israel and Greece. It amounts to around NIS 5.4
billion and includes the establishment of an International Flight Training
Center for the Hellenic Air Force, by @ElbitSystemsLtd
<https://twitter.com/ElbitSystemsLtd?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>
pic.twitter.com/TNulvgcZCN <https://t.co/TNulvgcZCN>
— Ministry of Defense (@Israel_MOD) April 18, 2021
<https://twitter.com/Israel_MOD/status/1383672786133028869?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>

Elbit is one of many Israeli firms participating
<https://defea.gr/sponsors/israel/> in the fair.

Following a period marked by the global health crisis, SIBAT in the Israel
Ministry of Defense, has inaugurated its pavilion at Defense Exhibition
Athens. SIBAT is accompanied by 20 Israeli defense companies that are
global leaders in their fields. pic.twitter.com/JXK9GonmAa
<https://t.co/JXK9GonmAa>
— Ministry of Defense (@Israel_MOD) July 13, 2021
<https://twitter.com/Israel_MOD/status/1414991056899280896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>

Rafael, the main firm
<https://www.rafael.co.il/worlds/air-missile-defense/short-range-air-missile-defense/>
behind Iron Done – a system for intercepting rockets fired by Palestinian
resistance fighters – will be showcasing its Sea Breaker “autonomous weapon
system.”

Next week, July 13-15th, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems will participate
in @DEFEA2021 <https://twitter.com/DEFEA2021?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw> in Athens
Greece. Join us at Booth 3F25 as we display the following solutions:
— RAFAEL Defense Systems (@RAFAELdefense) July 8, 2021
<https://twitter.com/RAFAELdefense/status/1413191059631390723?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>

Autonomous weapon systems are more commonly known as “killer robots
<https://paxforpeace.nl/what-we-do/programmes/killer-robots>.” Rafael
boasts of how Sea Breaker offers “effective warhead lethality” and how it
uses <https://twitter.com/RAFAELdefense/status/1410236793669275651>
artificial intelligence technology that has been “combat proven.”

“Combat proven” is a euphemism
<https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/david-cronin/eu-funds-israels-war-industry>
for equipment that has already been tried out in military attacks. If
Rafael’s boast is accurate, it implies that Israel has begun using
artificial intelligence and related technology against Palestinians – as *The
Jerusalem Post* has reported
<https://www.jpost.com/arab-israeli-conflict/gaza-news/guardian-of-the-walls-the-first-ai-war-669371>.
Blood-stained brand

The Athens fair is one of several events in Europe where Israel’s weapons
traders enjoy a hearty welcome.

In October, Paris will play host to Milipol
<https://en.milipol.com/Milipol-Paris/About-Milipol-Paris-2021>, an
exhibition of “homeland security” equipment.

Israel Weapon Industries has long booked
<https://en.milipol.com/Catalogue/Exhibitor/IWI-Israel-Weapon-Industries> a
stall.

That firm advertises <https://iwi.net/about-us/> how its rifles are
“developed in close cooperation” with Israel’s military. It does not spell
out how those firearms enabled
<https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/david-cronin/france-promotes-rifles-used-gaza-massacres>
snipers to gun down participants in Gaza’s Great March of Return during
2018.

NSO Group – a firm producing
<https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/tamara-nassar/advanced-israeli-malware-no-interaction-no-trace>
malware for spying on journalists – is another Israeli exhibitor expected
<https://en.milipol.com/Media/Network-Passions/Milipol-Paris-Medias/Files/2021-Exhibitor-list>
at Milipol.

So is Wintego, which assists
<https://wintego.com/lp/cyber-intelligence-solutions/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Wintego%20website&utm_term=wintego&gclid=CjwKCAjw87SHBhBiEiwAukSeUR4AdOLTy6a03DKeTC-0mmVZYWl4nao2N90El7O6sJUCLZzO3JWwTBoCiHAQAvD_BwE>
government agencies in extracting “secured data and chats” from mobile
phones.

By making ultra-modern tools for spying and killing, Israel markets itself
as passionate about innovation. And elites in the West can always be relied
on to endorse any Israeli brand, keeping hush about how it is stained with
Palestinian blood.
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