The Jerusalem Post, November 6, 1998 17 Heshvan 5759
Last
update at Fri Nov 6 15:26:51 EET 1998
Report: Israel won't stop selling arms to India
By ARIEH O'SULLIVAN
JERUSALEM (November 6) - Israeli officials have
reportedly quietly rejected repeated calls by the
Clinton administration to halt sales of arms and
military know-how to India as part of the United States
sanctions imposed following its nuclear bomb tests.
According to the recent edition of the US-based Defense
News, Israeli officials were quoted as saying that
Israel reserves the right to examine each proposal on
its own merits.
Washington applied economic sanctions and an embargo on
exporting military equipment to India and Pakistan after
each detonated nuclear bombs in May.
Western nations fell in line, but one Israeli diplomatic
source said the sanctions are "not holding water," since
the cut-throat arms market needs any client it can get.
Washington has reportedly asked key arms suppliers to
the sub-continent, like Russia and Israel, to stop the
sales.
Russia has opposed sanctions against India and is about
to sign a 10-year bilateral defense cooperation
agreement.
Israel has sold ammunition, patrol boats, and electronic
warfare components to India's navy, and El-Op, Tamam,
and Tadiran are currently shortlisted to upgrade about
1,500 of its T-72M1 tanks.
But according to Defense News, Washington particularly
targeted Israel because of a number of sensitive arms
deals with India on the horizon.
Sources said that America was concerned over a possible
$1 billion deal to provide India with an advanced
phased-array early warning system called Falcon, which
is installed on a Russian-manufactured Ilyushin-76
plane.
The system is completely Israeli developed, so
Washington does not have the automatic veto it does over
other weapons systems - like the Arrow anti-ballistic
missile - which contain US-made components or which the
US helps fund.
Indian Ambassador Ranjan Mathai confirmed that India is
purchasing military equipment from Israel, but declined
to go into details.
"We do require defense items, and we acquire these from
companies around the world, including Israeli companies
who win the tenders," he told The Jerusalem Post.
Defense Ministry officials declined to comment on the
report. Israeli diplomats, while declining to refer
directly to military sales, said there is no problem
with Washington over Israel's ties with India.
"There is no conflict between us. Nations are known to
agree to disagree," said one official.
There were suggestions that America is trying to tie
Israel's hands so that it can sell to India itself.
US officials said that they are confident Israel
wouldn't sell weapons or weapons systems that would aid
in India's controversial nuclear program or in some way
be redirected to enemies of the state.
"I'm confident we reached an understanding," said one US
official.
(c) 1995-1998, The Jerusalem Post
