LONDON: Pro-Palestinian protesters gathered Tuesday outside a major arms fair in London as it opened without the presence of Israeli government officials because of tension between Britain and Israel over the Gaza conflict.
Police watched as around 300 protesters waved Palestinian flags and held up placards including one reading “UK: Stop arming Israel. Stop the Gaza Genocide.”
The British government excluded the officials from the four-day event, but 51 Israeli defense companies are set to attend, including major arms manufacturer Elbit.
Rafael and Israel Aerospace Industries, both government-owned, will also have exhibitions, making Israel the fifth-largest national contingent at the fair at the Excel London exhibition center.
The Israeli companies “should be investigated for crimes against humanity, not invited to profit from the unspeakable devastation they have caused in Gaza,” Campaign Against Arms Trade spokesperson Emily Apple said in a statement.
Britain’s defense ministry announced at the end of August that no Israeli government delegation had been invited, citing Israel’s “decision to further escalate its military operation in Gaza.”
Israel labelled the exclusion of its officials from the Defense and Security Equipment International (DSEI) fair as “discrimination.”
At the same time, Israeli President Isaac Herzog is due in London on Tuesday for a three-day official visit.
‘Offensive weapons’
The arms fair “includes unrivalled access to international governments, ministries of defense... alongside all UK front line commands,” according to the DSEI UK website.
A record number of exhibitors and visitors are expected at the event, as global conflicts including the Russia-Ukraine war have prompted European and other governments to ramp up military spending.
France, which is also represented at the show, had in June blocked access to the stands of several Israeli arms manufacturers at the Paris Air show for displaying what it termed “offensive weapons.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said Britain will formally recognize a Palestinian state later this month if Israel does not take steps, including agreeing to a ceasefire in the Gaza war, which was sparked by the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023.
London has suspended trade talks with Israel over the conflict, as well as some export licenses for arms used in Gaza, but some UK-made parts, such as components for Israeli F-35 jets, are still exported.
Hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators rally outside London arms show
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Hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators rally outside London arms show
- The British government excluded the officials from the four-day event, but 51 Israeli defense companies are set to attend
Cuba says a 5th person died after people on a Florida-flagged speedboat opened fire on soldiers
- Authorities in Cuba said that on Feb. 26 Cuban soldiers confronted a speedboat carrying 10 people as the vessel approached the island and opened fire on the troops
- The shooting threatened to increase tensions between US President Donald Trump and Cuban authorities
HAVANA: Cuba said a fifth person has died as a consequence of a fatal shootout last month involving a Florida-flagged speedboat that allegedly opened fire on soldiers in waters off the island nation’s north coast.
The island’s interior ministry said late Thursday in a statement that Roberto Álvarez Ávila died on March 4 as a result of his injuries. It added that the remaining injured detainees “continue to receive specialized medical care according to their health status.”
Authorities in Cuba said that on Feb. 26 Cuban soldiers confronted a speedboat carrying 10 people as the vessel approached the island and opened fire on the troops. They said the passengers were armed Cubans living in the US who were trying to infiltrate the island and “unleash terrorism”. Cuba said its soldiers killed four people and wounded six others.
“The statements made by the detainees themselves, together with a series of investigative procedures, reinforce the evidence against them,” the Cuban interior ministry said in its statement, adding that “new elements are being obtained that establish the involvement of other individuals based in the US”
Earlier this week, Cuba said it had filed terrorism charges against six suspects that were on the speedboat. The government unveiled items said to have been found on the boat, including a dozen high-powered weapons, more than 12,800 pieces of ammunition and 11 pistols.
Cuban authorities have provided few details about the shooting, but said the boat was roughly 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) northeast of Cayo Falcones, off the country’s north coast. They also provided the boat’s registration number, but The Associated Press was unable to readily verify the details because boat registrations are not public in the state of Florida.
The shooting threatened to increase tensions between US President Donald Trump and Cuban authorities. The island’s economy was until recently largely kept economically afloat by Venezuela’s oil, which is now in doubt after a US military operation deposed then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
