Anti-Zionist researcher and journalist Yaakov Aharon told the Green Left Show that the major parties are complicit in Israel’s genocide of starving Palestinians in Gaza.
He said there are “deep military ties” between Australian arms companies and the Israeli Defense Forces. Despite Israel’s continuing genocide in Gaza, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has refused to implement sanctions or cancel the two-way weapons trade between Australia and Israel.
Aharon began investigating the ties after joining the community pickets outside Bisalloy Steel in Tharawal/Wollongong.
“Activists from the Palestine movement have been regularly shutting the factory down for a day and disrupting its business. The movement has hit Bisalloy where it hurts, the bottom line, but it is an ongoing story.”
Aharon said Bisalloy told its annual general meeting that it does export to Israel “but steel is considered a ‘dual-use arm’, so Bisalloy Steel is arming Israel. Most people think arms are guns, bullets and missiles but the definition, according to Australian law, is a lot broader than that.”
Aharon said Australia’s imports from Israel are well documented. “There are Australian companies that have Israeli origins and close ties with [Israeli weapons companies] Rafael and Elbit Systems. “Fundamentally, this is just as bad as the exports, because we are buying in to weapons that have been ‘battle-tested’ through the genocide.”
Aharon has researched particular exports to find the connections between Australian companies and Israel’s genocide. Through using Google’s reverse image search, he found Bisalloy Steel was involved with Israeli company Plasan Re’em in the production of armoured vehicles.
These vehicles included armoured and modified versions of the Toyota LandCruiser 200, Toyota J-79 and Toyota Hilux. “The Plasan Re’embrochure showed that these vehicles had been modified to include a low-visibility roll bar for the mounting of weapons, reinforced armoured roofs, hulls, panels, doors and windows; the whole thing is covered in steel that is up to 50mm thick…
“It said these vehicles are ‘ideal for special forces operation’, that they are ballistically tested by the IDF and can withstand two hand-grenades…
“Producing armoured steel for these purposes is considered by the Defence and Strategic Goods List legal definition to be a level above arms. It fits categories under Munitions List 13. It could also be considered under Munitions List 6, for armoured vehicles. Therefore under Australian law, Bisalloy is producing armoured vehicles and weapons’ mounts.”
Aharon said Australia also imports Plasan Re’em armoured vehicles for the Australian Defence Force (ADF), revealing the complicity of the Australian military and governments.
“It’s a two-way arms trade,” he said.
When Bisalloy Steel and Plasan Re’em struck the deal, Malcolm Turnbull was the Coalition Prime Minister. Turnbull is now a significant shareholder in Bisalloy Steel, as is Liberal Senator Dave Sharma. “There is no excuse for them not to be aware of the ties with the Israeli military.” Aharon said.
Australian companies provide unique services to the global arms industry, he said, pointing to the Nupress factory in Muloobinba/Newcastle which is uniquely geared to produce parts for the F-35 fighter jets. “No one else can produce those parts,” Aharon said.
“The same goes for Bisalloy Steel. It is the only armoured steel manufacturer in Australia to the required level of quality, and one of the only ones in the world… If you hear that a tank, or submarine, or navy ship is ‘Australian made’, it means the steel is from Bisalloy. That makes companies like Bisalloy and Nupress major players in the global arms supply chain, and complicit in Israel’s genocide.”
Aharon said another major issue for pro-Palestine activists is that Israel tests weapons on Palestinians in Gaza and the Occupied West Bank so it can promote them as “battle-tested” to other countries.
“It is one of the really sick things about the occupation. They put on display the fruits of their war machine, and it is all one big advertisement.
“For example the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce recently advertised that an Israeli cyber road show was in town, and that the various drones and artificial intelligence products that were on display were ‘battle-hardened’. It’s a selling point for militaries around the world.”
Aharon said it's important to protest wherever we can to support Gaza. “One day of disruption at Bisalloy Steel could mean one less shipment of armoured steel, which could mean one less tank in Gaza, one less armoured vehicle, one less Palestinian child killed. “Our actions do have an effect, so get involved in your local campaigns.”