Support the EDO Decommissioners

This petition is from the 'Support the Decommissioners' campaign, a support group for six people who broke into EDO MBM/ITT in Brighton during Israel's bombing of Gaza in January 2009. By the 17th January, the night of the break in, Israel had killed over a thousand civilians By the end of Israel's aerial bombardment over 1400 people had died, including up to 400 children. Foreign secretary David Miliband has admitted that British supplied weapons were undoubtedly used during Israel's bombardment.

On January 17th Ornella Saibene, Robert Nicholls, Harvey Tadman, Elijah Smith, Tom Woodhead and Robert Alford broke into the EDO factory and destroyed computers and manufacturing equipment in order to disable the factory's capacity to manufacture weapons for the Israeli army.

War crimes, including murder, the targeting of civilians and the wanton targeting of civilian objects had been committed in Gaza during January. The decommissioning of EDO was intended to prevent the factory aiding and abetting those crimes any further.

EDO has been granted UK export licenses for components which are incorporate into the Israeli F16, including licences for the ERU 151, the bomb rack for the Israeli F16.

The decommissioning of EDO action was only necessary because the UK governmnent continues to grant licenses for the export of weapons components to Israel (either through direct or indirect exports). In July 2009, as a response to public outcry against British companies' complicity in ar crimes in Gaza. David Milibands revoked 5 out of 182 existing export licenses to Israel, leaving the majority of exports unhindered

Israel has persistently committed war crimes and crimes against humanity; during Operation Defensive Shield in 2002, the bombing of Lebanon in 2006 and Operation Cast Lead in 2009. Despite this British arms sales to Israel are increasing.

We, the Undersigned demand:

- An arms embargo on Israel
- For all existing export licenses to Israel (either indirectly or directly) to be revoked
- An end to British governmnent purchases from Israeli arms companies (as these purchases help develop the Israeli arms industry)

Until these demands are fulfilled actions like the decommissioning will be necessary