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LETTERS

TO THE

EDITOR Send us your comments

editor@mizrachi.org

Arms exports facts My point is that there are no “dark Guardian of the Walls” (HaMizrachi Vol 4
rooms” with “former senior officers.” No 3) to be particularly moving. The IDF
IN HIS ARTICLE “Israel and Arms All transactions are performed in clear fought the most recent war with Hamas
Exports” (HaMizrachi Vol 4 No 1), Rav daylight under the watchful eye of primarily through the air, responding
Yuval Cherlow writes, “...the arms export DECA. When an Israeli company tried
environment is always accompanied by bypassing DECA only a few months ago, to Hamas’ attacks with targeted missile
moral decay. Because these transactions officials caught them and the people strikes. Given the constant barrage of
are often done “in the dark” because tre- rocket attacks on our towns and cities,
mendous amounts of money are involved...” involved were arrested. it was easy to forget that many of our
soldiers were dangerously exposed to
I have been working in the Israeli This is not to say that there are no these attacks near the Gaza border,
defense industry for nearly 30 years. halachic issues with arms export. As a
frum Jew, I have studied these issues at often without secure bomb shelters
Here are some publically available length. I have gone so far as to refuse nearby.
facts: In the late 1990s, Israel wanted to positions that I felt would be halachically The young author honestly and power-
export advanced missiles and Airborne problematic. But I suggest that halacha
Warning and Control System (AWACS) cannot be adjudicated until fact is sep- fully described the fear he experienced
aircraft to China. The US became aware arated from fiction. as the rockets fell around him. As a
of the deal and forced Israel to cancel mother, I am shaken by the dangers our
it, causing an international incident Ari Sacher children must endure to protect our
with China. Marketing and Business Development, country, but also deeply proud of the
RAFAEL incredible young people who put their
To prevent this from recurring, the lives on the line to protect all of us. May
Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMOD) Hashem protect all of our brave young
created the Defence Export Control soldiers and give them the strength and
Agency, DECA, or, in Hebrew, API – י”פא. A powerful description fortitude to carry on, b’simcha.
OF ALL THE Tisha B’Av edition arti-
DECA is responsible for the marketing Tamar Nector
and export licenses required to export cles, I found “On the Front Line: A Sol-
weapons. DECA rules with an iron dier’s First-Hand Account of Operation Modiin
hand.
As one who regularly deals with this
sort of thing, DECA makes export-
ing weapon systems extremely dif-
ficult and often nearly impossible.
Marketing and export licenses are
required for even the most trivial
transactions. I have found myself on
the wrong side of DECA on numerous
occasions because I interpreted the
licensing rules more leniently than
they did. I do not know one person
in Israeli Defense Business Devel-
opment who has not had a similar (PHOTO: IDF)
experience.

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