Is a Moncton company helping to build jet fighters bombing Gaza? [video]

Activists are trying to shine a light on the murky world of the military-industrial complex.

A Moncton company that makes components for F-35 fighter jets was the site of a recent protest over alleged links to the Israeli Air Force.

Apex Industries supplies parts to Lockheed Martin, the American aerospace and weapons giant, which sells fighter jets to a number of U.S. allies, including Israel.

The Israeli Air Force has reportedly used those aircraft in the bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

The company’s CEO says it’s unknown whether components built in New Brunswick ultimately become part of Israel’s fleet of F-35s.

But activists say the company is part of war machine enabling the destruction of Gaza.

Protesters marched to the factory on Millennium Boulevard recently to call for an arms embargo against Israel, which is widely accused of perpetuating a genocidal war in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Protesters hope to raise awareness about military-industrial companies operating in the province, said NB Media Co-op contributor Data Brainanta.

“New Brunswick has industries that are feeding the war machine which is complicit with the carnage that is currently ongoing in Gaza,” he said.

On Tuesday, Israel signed a $3-billion deal to procure 25 more of the stealth jet fighters, which will ultimately bring its total fleet to 75, according to reports.

In a brief phone interview, Keith Parlee, CEO of Apex Industries, confirmed that the company is a supplier for Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighters.

Parlee said he doesn’t know whether the components built in Moncton ultimately contribute to Israel’s F-35, dubbed the Adir or “Mighty One” by the Israeli Air Force.

He said “we have no control” over how the products are used, pointing out that many countries purchase F-35s, including Canada.

Parlee said Apex respects the right to protest and expressed pride in the company’s work as a supplier for various military contractors, saying those activities create a number of jobs.

Brainanta said the CEO’s response was unsurprising, noting the murkiness of international supply chains contributing to the military-industrial complex.

“The citizens have to pro-actively scrutinize these industries,” he said, adding that the lack of transparency means that “atrocities can be done without much public outcry.”

He suggested that companies like Apex could transition away from the military industry and use their productive capacity to build public transportation, for example.

The collaboration between Apex Industries and Lockheed Martin is no secret.

Opportunities NB, the economic development agency, said in a 2021 post on X, formerly Twitter, that Apex makes dozens of parts for the F-35.

Apex Industries has received funding from federal and provincial levels of government over the years worth millions of dollars. 

Who knew that 63 parts of the F-35 fighter jets were made by Moncton’s @Apex_Industries? More than 100 Canadian companies have contracts and contribute to the production of the F-35 for Lockheed Martin – one big supply chain win for APEX and for NB! https://t.co/CN5JbkhaUw pic.twitter.com/9BcxWu3oMy

— Opportunities NB (@ONBCanada) July 20, 2021

Calls for ‘real arms embargo’

Activists decided to single out Apex Industries after the group World Beyond War posted a map on its website showing the location of various “weapons manufacturers arming Israel,” including a Lockheed Martin facility at CFB Gagetown and Apex in Moncton.

World Beyond War is calling for the feds to enact a “real arms embargo” against Israel.

Earlier this year, the NDP put forward a non-binding resolution in the House of Commons calling on the Trudeau government to “suspend all trade in military goods and technology with Israel.” The resolution was adopted after being watered down by the governing Liberals.

The final version called on the government to “cease the further authorization and transfer of arms exports to Israel.” Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly has stated that existing permits for military exports will remain in effect.

A full-on embargo would take into account Canadian military components sent via the United States.

Canada exported $30.6 million in military goods and technology to Israel last year, a record-breaking figure, according to Project Ploughshares, a research organization that promotes peace and disarmament.

Disclosures about military exports published by Global Affairs Canada don’t include exports to the U.S. because of the “permit-free nature” of most military transfers to our American neighbours, according to the group.

The U.S. is by far the world’s biggest arms supplier to Israel, accounting for 69 per cent of Israeli major arms imports between 2019 and 2023, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

David Gordon Koch is a journalist with the NB Media Co-op. This reporting has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada, administered by the Canadian Association of Community Television Stations and Users (CACTUS).