It is both historically and contemporarily evident that the use and testing of weaponry is often done at the expense of nonwhite populations. The scale may vary, but the directive remains the same. Nonwhites are not treated with the same level of dignity, humanity or privacy that is granted often to Western, predominantly white countries. No better contemporary case exists than Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (O.P.T). A staple of the Israeli occupying state has long been its military capacity. For Israel, few industries in its economy have been at such highly consistent demand. This demand has allowed them to become global leaders within the broader military industrial complex and by extension exercise a level of control over the way war is waged globally. Jeff Halper in his 2015 book “War Against the People”describes this in what he refers to as the “global matrix of control”. This notion is a play on his earlier idea for what he refers to as the Israeli “matrix of control” on Palestinians. On this “matrix” he writes
“The Occupied Palestinian Territory has been transformed into probably the most monitored, controlled and militarized place on earth. It epitomizes the dream of every general, security expert and police officer to be able to exercise total biopolitical control. In a situation where the local population enjoys no effective legal protections or privacy, they and their lands become a laboratory where the latest technologies of surveillance, control and suppression are perfected and showcased, giving Israel an edge in the highly competitive global market.” (Halper, 2015).
Halper later takes this example of the “laboratory of Palestine” and the level of authority enjoyed by Israel within the O.P.T and expands it onto the world. These techniques and technologies are used in the O.P.T, stamped with Israeli seals of approval like “Tested in Gaza” or “Approved by the IDF” and are exported into the global market, wherein they become embedded into a variety of security systems and warfare. This dynamic ensures that Israeli military technology is a core element of security campaigns across the globe, whether military or municipal. This is characteristic of a global shift towards securitization as theprimary objective, every facet of the lives of people globally are hyper scrutinized to ensure “maximum security”. In a world wrought by technology and surveillance, Israel is able to be at the heart of the operation, with their backyard laboratory that is the O.P.T (Halper, 2015). This cycle is endlessly fulfilling; Israel has no impetusto quell any resistance as it continually generates them economic development and global authority. Halper further describes this: “The fact that Israel has failed miserably in both combating terror and resolving its conflicts does not seem to tarnish its reputation as a leading authority on the War in Terror.”. They are able to turn this cycle of bloodshed and endless conquest into a market advantage. Israel becomes a staple globally for their “cutting edge” technological developments,...