The dissolution of the Knesset last week prevented the amendment of the Defense Export Control Law • Maj. Gen. Eyal Ben-Reuven warns: "Weapons may reach terrorist organizations"
IDF ammunition
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AFP
Morality or harm to the State of Israel?
The dissolution of the Knesset last week prevented an amendment to the Defense Export Control Law, which aims to restrict Israeli arms exports.
However, the initiative of MK Boaz Toporovsky (Yesh Atid-TLM), which came to prevent Israeli weapons from being sold to elements who could use them to commit various crimes and injustices, is expected to rise in the future and is already controversial, including among senior reserve officers.
"The State of Israel is a huge arms exporter," Maj. Gen. and former Knesset member Eyal Ben Reuven told Israel Today, "We have the most advanced technologies in the world and our defense exports are a large and very important part of the State of Israel's national product, and we are very happy to purchase The Israeli produce. "
At the same time, he notes, as someone who has supported a similar legislative initiative in the past, that "here comes the point that Israel must make very sure that the weapons it produces and sells will reach proper hands. There are state-run mechanisms that take care of these matters." Some of the exceptions stemmed from all sorts of subcontractors who took care to sell Israeli products to dubious parties. Sometimes the weapons reach all sorts of factors to the point of terrorist organizations that can then turn the weapons we sold against us. "So that the source of our pride will not be turned against us."
Maj. Gen. Gershon HaCohen does not agree.
"It's about purity. The defense industries need to exist and the Israeli economy needs to exist. We need to stop fantasizing about 'and cut their swords into shovels.' This is the way of the world."
The claim that increased control over the issue will prevent the use of Israeli weapons to commit various crimes, he dismisses and says: "It's like telling someone not to sell knives because someone might stab someone else. After all, the largest client of the State of Israel's small arms industry, guns, pistols, Cartridges, Intentions and the like, this is the US private market.
More than any other country, and even there horrors sometimes occur.
In the end, Israeli security needs to export its weapons. "
The existing law (enacted in 2007) was previously tried to change, adding additional restrictions to the arms export mechanism but all initiatives fell through, such as that of MK Toporovsky emphasizing: “As a persecuted people fighting for their lives to survive, , Is obliged by us more than anything to place ourselves on the moral and value side of the pages of history.
The State of Israel must increase the system of supervision and transparency for the export and marketing of weapons, when not only economic and security interests will lead us.
"It is imperative to exercise moral and value judgment in order to avoid, as far as possible, the contribution of Israeli weapons to inciting conflicts, killing innocent people and committing crimes against humanity."
One of the most prominent activities in the field is Naama Ringel, an architect who was exposed to the subject during one of her times abroad. “I developed an awareness of the subject about twenty years ago when I was a student.
This became clear to me when I was working for a while in Angola, and I heard about Israel's involvement in the arms trade in the civil war that took place there.
The thought of the state's arms deals with elements from places where crimes and atrocities take place hurt me as a proud Israeli. "
"There is no soldier who does not know and acts according to the principle of purity of arms, and in this area too this value must be maintained. The state's education on this issue, which is so well assimilated in the internal security system, must also be reflected in the world of exports."
Regarding Maj. Gen. Cohen's claim to purity, she adds: "It is true that weapons targets cannot always be controlled, but there are ranks.
It should be noted that many officers did not agree to be interviewed on the subject.
Some for political reasons, some said that they are satisfied with the existing law, and there are of course quite a few with personal and business interests in the world of defense exports.
Against this background, the remarks of the general in the reserve, Amiram Levin, are interesting. He does not want to comment on this or that initiative, but says: "I do not deal in the field of arms exports because you never know who it will reach in the end and what use it will make. In this disgusting field. "