Ha'aretz, October 18, 1999
Defense Ministry Gives Firm Go-Ahead to Sell Arms to Jordan
By Yossi Melman
The Defense Ministry has authorized Israel Military Industries to sell arms to Jordan. This is the first time an Israeli firm has been allowed to sell weapons and defense equipment to an Arab state.
The authorization, which applies to ammunition and light arms only, enables IMI to enter into negotiations with Amman. At this stage, though, there is no concrete proposal and according to senior officials it will be a long time before Jordan buys arms from Israel, if at all.
In the past no individuals or companies have been permitted to sell arms to Arab states, although in rare instances Israeli weapons reached hostile elements in the Arab world through arms dealers.
The Defense Ministry and the IDF have in the past supplied arms, through the Mossad espionage agency, to Christian forces in Lebanon, as well as to rebels in Sudan and to the Kurds in Iraq.
Sources in the Defense Ministry who oppose the authorization say it was given following intensive lobbying activity by persons close to IMI.
Others in the ministry who support the development maintain, however, that supplying arms to Jordan will strengthen ties between the two countries. In any event, they add, this is only another layer in the strategic cooperation that exists between Israel and Jordan, which, according to foreign reports includes exchanges of intelligence information and permission for Israeli Air Force planes to fly over Jordan.
The spokesman of the Defense Ministry declined to comment on the report, saying, "We do not make a habit of providing information about decisions taken by Defense Ministry committees." The IMI spokesman refused comment.
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Source: http://www3.haaretz.co.il/eng/scripts/article.asp?id=58787&mador=1&datee=10/18/99
