Steve Ciobo is the new Defence Industry Minister taking over from Christopher Pyne. He is now the Australian Minister who is responsible for our arms trade with other countries. He is responsible for the transfer of Australian arms and equipment to the biggest trouble spot in the World, the Middle East. The Australian Government maintains that they will not trade arms with human rights abuser or war fighting countries yet they are trading arms and materiel with Israel and Saudi Arabia. Both Israel and Saudi Arabia are human rights abusers and the Australian Government turns a blind eye to their misdeeds. It is up the citizens of Australia to reject this and send a reminder to our new minister!
Please feel free to use these letters as a guide to writing to Steve – give him the serve he deserves!
Letter 1 Israel
Minister for the Defence Industry
The Hon. Steve Ciobo
PO Box 4922
Gold Coast MC, Queensland 9726
Tuesday, September 18, 2018
Dear Minister,
Arms Trade with Israel.
The previous Minister for Defence Industry claimed that the Israeli Government and its Israeli Defence Force (IDF) are not human rights abusers or aggressors in the Middle East.
Many in the international community reject this position and condemn Israel for committing crimes against humanity and war crimes in its suppression of the Palestinian people.
Israel has killed 120 unarmed protesters in the last few months, it has wounded a further 300 with sniper fire, and injured over 1,500 unarmed protesters with gas, bullets and other weaponry.
We wish to draw your attention to a report in the Jerusalem Post 4/9/18 under the banner headline “IDF confirms that Israel provided light weapons and money to Syrian rebels.”
Part of the article reads: The IDF has confirmed that it provided weapons to Islamist rebels in Syria’s Golan Heights, the Jerusalem Post reported. However, the article was removed without explanation hours after being published.
The report claimed that the Israeli military acknowledged for the first time that it had provided money, weapons and ammunition to militants operating near the border with Israel.
All this is well known to your department yet somehow Australia keeps supplying Israel with weapons and equipment to ruthlessly kill and maim Palestinians.
We believe strongly that it is time stop the supply of Australian weapons and materiel to Israel.
Can you confirm that Australia will not supply weapons to Israel?
Yours sincerely
Letter 2 Saudi Arabia
Minister for the Defence Industry
The Hon. Steve Ciobo
PO Box 4922
Gold Coast MC, Queensland 9726
Tuesday, September 18, 2018
Dear Minister,
Arms Trade with Saudi Arabia
The previous Minister for Defence Industry claimed that the Saudi Arabian Government and its military are not human rights abusers or aggressors in the war against Yemen.
The international community has clearly rejected this position and condemns Saudi Arabia for committing crimes against humanity and war crimes in its war against Yemen.
Saudi Arabia has imposed an embargo on Yemen causing widespread malnutrition, starvation and other problems. It recently killed a busload of people, mainly schoolchildren and women.
Saudi Arabia has been running proxy wars in the Middle East by supplying jihadist groups with finance and weapons to wage war in Syria and Afghanistan. A number of these groups have been involved in fighting Australian military personnel.
These and other facts must be known by your department yet somehow Australia keeps supplying Saudi Arabia with weapons and equipment to ruthlessly kill and maim Yemeni men, women and children.
We believe strongly that it is time stop the supply of Australian weapons and materiel to Saudi Arabia.
Can you confirm that Australia will not supply weapons to Saudi Arabia?
Yours sincerely