A CAMPAIGN has been launched to ban Israel from the UK's largest arms fair.
The Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) group has called for Israeli arms companies and the official Israeli government delegation to be banned from attending the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) arms fair.
The DSEI, one of the largest arms fairs in the world, is due to take place at London's ExCeL centre between September 9 and 12.
The fair is held every two years in London and sees global arms manufacturers, military delegations and governments gather to showcase and trade weapons and defence technology.
The UK Government typically always invites an Israeli delegation to the event, however CAAT has called on Israel to be banned because it is waging a "genocide against Palestinian people".
The group has started a petition calling for Israel to be banned from the fair and has called on the event organisers and London mayor Sadiq Khan to intervene.
The group said that if Israel are allowed to attend the event, the UK Government would be "rolling out the red carpet to legitimise and enable war criminals".
Emily Apple, media coordinator at CAAT, said: “DSEI will be a huge opportunity for Israeli companies to market military equipment that is no longer just 'battle-tested' but now genocide tested, on a global level.
"Every company and government body responsible for Israel’s inclusion at DSEI is complicit in aiding and abetting Israel’s genocide and the commission of war crimes.
“It is unconscionable that Israeli delegations and arms companies will be allowed to conduct business as usual at DSEI, and it is down to campaigners to do everything they can to kick Israel out of DSEI and stop this from happening.
“However, while we believe that banning Israel from the event is a clear moral and legal objective, and one that we hope is achievable, we want to see this disgusting arms fair shut down entirely.
"DSEI is a massive marketplace in death and destruction. It is a one-stop-shop for human rights abusing regimes to stock up on military equipment to wage wars abroad and repress their populations at home.
"From Saudi Arabia, to Qatar, to Turkey, DSEI will roll out the red carpet for delegations from human rights abusing regimes across the world.”
The group said that it would continue to protest the DSEI even if Israel is banned, pointing towards arms companies in the UK such as BAE Systems which produce weapons used by the Israeli military in its assault on Gaza.
BAE Systems is set to be joined by Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, other arms manufacturers used by Israel in Gaza.
