Declassified UK: The Newcastle factory owned by the Israeli state

Dear Peter,

How would you feel if one of your city’s most historic factories was owned by the Israeli state?

That’s the question at the heart of our latest investigation.

Declassified travelled to Newcastle to uncover the story of the Armstrong Works, a vast factory that once employed a quarter of the local population. Today, it is owned by Rafael, an Israeli state-owned arms company.

I spoke to local residents and campaigners to understand what this means for Newcastle, and what connections exist between the factory and Israel’s military industry.

For British-Palestinian resident Jason Hussein, the issue goes far beyond what is manufactured inside the factory. As he explains in the film, “Even if that factory was producing teddy bears, the money that’s being made is still going into the coffers of a genocidal state.”

This is a really important watch check it out now.

In solidarity,

Laura

Laura Pidcock

Co-director
Declassified UK