The head of a Belgian company has expressed his frustration after anti-Israel activists caused more than €1 million in damage – including military equipment due to be sent to Ukraine.
More than 100 members of the Belgian chapter of ‘Stop Arming Israel’ entered a hangar belonging to OIP Land Systems, in the city of Tournai, daubing graffiti and wrecking the company’s equipment.
The anti-Israel group stated that it had identified “10 companies in Belgium that have had links or that contribute to the arming of Israel…As long as they are not forced to do otherwise, these companies will continue to contribute to this macabre business.”
OIP Land Systems buys military vehicles and surplus goods for resale after reconditioning. It is a subsidiary of Elbit, an Israeli defence firm.
However, as reported by the Notélé news site, Freddy Versluys, the head of OIP Land Systems said that: “We don’t sell anything to Israel. The vandals entered the hangar and damaged the computer equipment. They also damaged vehicles that were due to be sent to Ukraine. There’s at least €1 million in damages and a one-month delay in delivery to Ukraine.”
The OIP Land Systems hangar in Tournai contains one of the largest privately owned reserves of weapons in Europe, and has been involved in the sale of renovated and reconditioned arms for use in Ukraine, including Leopard 1A5 tanks. OIP also sold 46 M113 light armoured vehicles to the UK, which then transferred them to Ukraine as part of a military package.
