EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - European Union member states authorised the export of €200 million in arms exports to Israel in 2007, the latest figures from Brussels disclose, with France far and away the Jewish state's biggest European weapons supplier. According to the EU's 2008 report on arms export licences, published in December for the 2007 calendar year and consolidating the accounts that member states must annually submit, 18 member states authorised a total of 1,018 such licences to Israel worth €199,409,348. Machine guns: the EU sold €200 million of weapons to Israel in 2007 France, Germany and Romania were the top three exporters. France issued export licences worth €126 million, Germany authorised €28 million and Romania €17 million, the EUobserver can reveal. In response to calls from opposition politicians that the UK government halt its arms exports to Israel and push all other EU member states to do the same, a British foreign office spokesperson said: "We do not approve any defence related exports if we judge that there is a risk that they will be used for external aggression or internal repression.
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - European Union member states authorised the export of €200 million in arms exports to Israel in 2007, the latest figures from Brussels disclose, with France far and away the Jewish state's biggest European weapons supplier.
According to the EU's 2008 report on arms export licences, published in December for the 2007 calendar year and consolidating the accounts that member states must annually submit, 18 member states authorised a total of 1,018 such licences to Israel worth €199,409,348.
Machine guns: the EU sold €200 million of weapons to Israel in 2007
France, Germany and Romania were the top three exporters. France issued export licences worth €126 million, Germany authorised €28 million and Romania €17 million, the EUobserver can reveal.
In response to calls from opposition politicians that the UK government halt its arms exports to Israel and push all other EU member states to do the same, a British foreign office spokesperson said: "We do not approve any defence related exports if we judge that there is a risk that they will be used for external aggression or internal repression.
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Pressure to obtain a ceasefire in Gaza has been mounting, with the EU warning Israel it was "destroying" its image, while Israeli forces on Tuesday (6 January) killed at least 40 people during an attack on a United Nations-run school in Gaza. The Israeli attack on the Fakhora school in the northern town of Jabaliya, which also wounded around 100 people, was the deadliest single strike of the offensive so far and the third UN school to come under fire within 24 hours. Calls have intensified for both sides to halt the violence. ( The bombing has drawn international condemnation, with the EU calling it "completely unacceptable." "We think the attack is completely unacceptable and strongly condemn the fact that civilians were hit while sheltering themselves from the violence," said Cristina Gallach, spokesperson of EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana.
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Pressure to obtain a ceasefire in Gaza has been mounting, with the EU warning Israel it was "destroying" its image, while Israeli forces on Tuesday (6 January) killed at least 40 people during an attack on a United Nations-run school in Gaza.
The Israeli attack on the Fakhora school in the northern town of Jabaliya, which also wounded around 100 people, was the deadliest single strike of the offensive so far and the third UN school to come under fire within 24 hours.
Calls have intensified for both sides to halt the violence. (
The bombing has drawn international condemnation, with the EU calling it "completely unacceptable."
"We think the attack is completely unacceptable and strongly condemn the fact that civilians were hit while sheltering themselves from the violence," said Cristina Gallach, spokesperson of EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana.
British foreign office spokesperson said: "We do not approve any defence related exports if we judge that there is a risk that they will be used for external aggression or internal repression.
European Union member states authorised the export of €200 million in arms exports to Israel in 2007
