Email Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald: Are my taxes funding Israel's war planes?

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<div>I am writing to you to ask for transparency on whether public money is going to support NI-based arms companies that are providing arms and components to Israel. <br> </div><div>I couldn’t believe it when I read in the <a href="https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/northern-ireland/millions-of-pounds-in-stormont-funding-going-towards-fighter-jets-used-in-israels-bombardment-of-gaza/a653864831.html">Belfast Telegraph</a> that millions of pounds in Stormont funding via Invest NI is going towards F-35 fighter jets used in Israel’s bombardment of Gaza. Invest NI has given £19.66 million to three companies - Survitec, Moyola Precision Engineering and RLC Engineering Group Ltd - with operations in Northern Ireland that manufacture components for F-35 combat aircrafts. Furthermore, I was shocked to read in <a href="https://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/invest-ni-slammed-after-cash-given-to-firms-with-links-to-israeli-jets-used-to-bomb-gaza/a505122000.html">a more recent report in the Belfast Telegraph </a>that a fourth company publically funded company, Electronic Automation Engineers has been discovered and reveals the clearest links yet between Invest NI and the two main partners of the F-35 programme - BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin. </div><div> </div><div>Last year, <a href="https://caat.org.uk/news/investigation-reveals-israel-used-partly-uk-made-f-35-in-attack-on-gaza-humanitarian-zone-in-july-killing-90/">NGO Danwatch revealed</a> that, for the first time, it has been possible to definitively confirm the use by Israel of an F-35 stealth fighter to carry out a specific attack in Gaza. <br> </div><div>Martin Butcher, Oxfam’s policy adviser for arms, conflict and international humanitarian law told the<em> </em><a href="https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/millions-of-pounds-in-stormont-funding-going-towards-fighter-jets-used-in-israels-bombardment-of-gaza/a1127653446.html">Irish Independent</a> that “at least some” public funding “will be assisting in the maintenance and repair of F-35s”. He argued that while the fighter jets are used by quite a few countries, “it would be fair to say that the Northern Irish public funding is, through this fund, supporting the Israeli air force."<br> </div><div>I am deeply concerned that Invest NI has been using our taxpayer’s money to support Israel dropping bombs over Gaza. F35s have dropped 2000lb bombs on Gaza which have a lethal radius of 360m - that’s equivalent to the area of 58 football pitches. Because Israel has used these aircrafts so intensely to bombard Gaza over the past year and need daily maintenance as a result, it is likely that this has significantly increased the profit margins of companies that manufacture parts of the aircraft.</div><div> </div><div>What's more, Israel is using its <a href="https://caat.org.uk/news/new-figures-reveal-massive-increase-in-uk-arms-exports-to-israel-as-government-defends-f-35-exemption-in-court/">39 F-35s at five times the normal rate </a>which has led to a very high demand for spare parts. <a href="https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-846278">Israel has purchased even more F-35 planes</a> to continue its genocidal onslaught and plans to increase that number. </div><div> </div><div>In January 2024 the ICJ ruled that Israel is plausibly committing genocide in Gaza. Under Article I of the Genocide Convention, Stormont is obligated to prevent and punish the crime of genocide. This is not a passive obligation. The NI Executive must undertake due diligence to ensure it is not aiding or facilitating genocide.<br>  </div><div>You have asked Invest NI to review the funding, but I urge you as an elected official in the position of Economy Minister to expedite the findings in a public report. </div>

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