This week, I attended a get-together with reps of Israel’s defence industry under the auspices of the Israeli Export Institute.

Surprise no’ 1: An introductory talk was given by the head of the Defence Ministry’s licensing team. The rules are clear and getting tighter by the day. Israeli companies need approval before signing contracts.

Opponents of Israeli arm exports beware – many of your complaints are without justification de facto. Israel does not export the naughty countries of the world.

It turns out that there are around 900 companies involved in this sector. The number of licenses have trebled in the past 4 years, but they are only given out once due diligence has been thoroughly completed.

Actually, the speech drew the wrath of manufacturers present in the room. They complained of a long drawn out process. And here’s the joke – for all the country’s high tech capabilities, the ministry is working with a software over a decade old. No wonder approvals often come through after competitors have overtaken their Israeli counterparts.  

Surprise no’ 2: Most of the companies in this sector are not related to weapons manufacture. For example, ZAG Industries is entering the fray of RFID tech. Whitewater Security has a comprehensive platform to prevent terrorist penetration of water works.

I was very impressed by the capabilities of R.K. Diagostics. they provide a tailor-made solution for manufacturers, particularly for heavy vehicles.

And the irony: After the successes of previous Olympic games,  150 licenses were issued in 2008 for Israeli firms to submit tenders to Beijing. But none of them won a contract. Meanwhile, the UK, which is clamping down again on arms exports to Israel, has just signed a massive trade deal with the lovers of human rights in Red Square.