Motorola Solutions profits from Israel’s control of the Palestinian population by providing surveillance systems around Israeli settlements, checkpoints, and military camps in the West Bank, as well as by providing communication systems to the Israeli army. Motorola has created at least four such surveillance systems. According to Who Profits, the current settlement surveillance system is called “MotoEagle” and is currently installed in about 25 settlements in the occupied West Bank, including Teko'a, Nokdim, Otniel, Beit Hagai, Eli, Rehelim, Tapu'ach, Mechora, Elon More, and Talmon.
The settlement surveillance systems monitor up to 700 meters outside of a settlement and work by alerting settlement security whenever motion is detected near this area, thus preventing Palestinians from working their land adjacent to the settlements. In this way, the systems not only reinforce settlement infrastructure but also confiscate additional land and further constrict freedom of movement for Palestinians.
Motorola has a long history of providing the Israeli military with telecommunications technology. In 2000, Motorola won a $100 million contract to provide the Israeli army with their specially designed Vered Harim (Mountain Rose) cellular communications system. It has been installed in a wide range of armored vehicles and is integrated with communications systems throughout the West Bank and Israel, supporting Israeli attacks on civilians in Lebanon, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.
Motorola also owns 9% of the Israeli company Afcon. Afcon manufactures metal detectors and gates that are installed at checkpoints throughout the West Bank, including the Patriarch’s Cave checkpoint, the Beit Iba checkpoint, Beit Hanoun/Erez Terminal, and in various locations in the Jordan Valley. Afcon also holds a large contract for the supply of the security system for the Jerusalem Light Rail Transport System. As noted above in the section about Veolia, the Jerusalem light rail aims to solidify Israel’s control over its illegal settlements in East Jerusalem.
