Arms factory petition will go to Government

CALLS for an investigation into an Israeli-owned arms factory in Newcastle will be referred to the Government.

- By DANIEL HOLLAND Local democracy reporter

Newcastle City Council has agreed to forward concerns about Pearson Engineering’s Armstrong Works site on Scotswood Road to ministers.

City leaders made the commitment after campaigners from the People Against Rafael group presented a petition signed by more than 5,000 people, demanding transparency about the use of weapons produced at the Tyneside factory.

The plant has been the target of protests from pro-Palestine activists since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, as Pearson is a subsidiary of Israeli defence technology company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

The Israeli state is listed on Companies House as having a controlling stake in Pearson Engineering.

People Against Rafael spokesman Don MacDonald told Wednesday's full council meeting that local people in Newcastle were “in dismay” about the factory's operation and the concern that their city could be "complicit" in the killing of Palestinians, either through Newcastle-made equipment being directly used by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) or through the company's profits.