European petition against the use of Israeli “killer drones” to control EU borders

On Land Day and the second anniversary of the start of the Great March of Return, a European coalition of organizations, including MPPM, is launching a petition calling on the European Union to stop using Israeli drones to control its maritime borders.

The Hermes drones, manufactured by Elbit Systems, the largest Israeli military company, were developed specifically to be used by the Israeli armed forces to keep the Gaza Strip under the inhuman siege it has been subjected to by Israel for more than ten years. According to Human Rights Watch, these drones were actually used to deliberately target civilians in the Gaza Strip during the massacres of 2008-2009. Elbit Systems drones were also used to kill civilians in Lebanon in the 2006 war waged by Israel.

At a time when Israel is using the pandemic as a smokescreen to accelerate the de facto annexation in the West Bank and increase repression, and maintains the blockade of Gaza, where, with scarce resources, any effective response for two million people is impossible, the EU's use of Israeli “killer drones” represents an unacceptable support and encouragement to the Israeli war industry.

We need solidarity, not militarization and Israeli “killer drones”!

Let us demand that the EU stop using Israeli “killer drones” for anti-migration policies: these drones militarise the Mediterranean, they can kill, but they cannot save lives!

This is the text of the petition:

[Update: This petition gathered 11062 signatures]

To: EU Commissioner Adina Valean, EU Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius, EU Commissioner Yiva Johansson

Dear Sir/Madam,

Since November 2018 the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) has leased through the Portuguese company CeiiA two Hermes 900 drones, so-called ‘killer drones’ manufactured by Israel’s largest military company Elbit Systems. Under the € 59 million worth 2 year leasing contract, the drones are used mainly to implement the EU’s repressive anti-migration policies. Experts condemn the move to aerial surveillance as an abrogation of the responsibility to save lives. Worse, the Elbit’s killer drones are supporting Frontex and national authorities in Greece, where migrants and refugees have been targeted with live ammunition at sea.

Elbit Systems develops its drones together with the Israeli military and promotes its technology as field tested – on Palestinians. It provides 85% of the drones used by Israel in its repeated military assaults and continued inhumane siege on Gaza. Hermes drones have been used to kill the four children playing at the beach during Israel’s attack on Gaza in 2014.

These drones can kill but can’t save lives.

Therefore, I demand:

EMSA to stop using these drones and EMSA and CeiiA not to renew the leasing contract.
Our national authorities not to request these drones for use in their airspace.

the European Union not to spend public tax money to finance Israel’s military industry but instead to use its funds to protect human rights for all and not for the militarization of borders and the sea.

Sincerely,

30 March 2020