Arms Exports and Israeli Government Policy

Tucked away in an article on Israeli-Latin American relations written by a former Israeli ambassador to Bolivia and Peru is the passing remark that “a considerable percentage of Israeli defense industry exports go to Latin America” and that “for obvious reasons very little has been published about this subject.”1 It is true that, aside from fragmentary coverage in press reports, the military dimensions of these relations and, in particular, weapons transfers have not received the attention they deserve. Indeed, the only book devoted to Israeli-Latin American relations treats the military aspect of these relationships more or less on a par with diplomatic, economic, and even cultural ties.2 Therefore, this study seeks to remedy the gap with a more sustained treatment of the subject, not only for its intrinsic interest—Israeli-Latin American relations now being dominated by the military component—but also because Latin America provides a good starting point for shedding light on the Israeli arms industry and export policies, and their implications and consequences both for Israel and the areas in which it operates.