Democratic Palestine : 1 (ص 31)
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- Democratic Palestine : 1 (ص 31)
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announcement that ‘Israel’ will provide military and security
aid, estimated to run at $81 million in this year, to the regime
marks a renewal and escalation of Israeli intervention in El
Salvador’s civil war. Also, the Israeli embassy is scheduled to
reopen in San Salvador, as the result of the August meeting in
Jerusalem between Begin and a high-ranking Salvadorean
delegation. The regime will reciprocate by moving its
embassy to Jerusalem, in a clear sign of political support to
the Zionist annexation. The Israeli embassy in San Salvador
was closed in 1979, after an escalation of political violence in
the country. Since the war in the country has only widened
since that time, the explanation for the reopening is the new
priority Zionism has assigned to El Salvador, in order to hold
the reactionary forces in power against the steady advance of
the Farabundo Marti revolutionaries. It is perhaps redundant
to note that the increased Israeli focus on El Salvador comes
at a time when the Reagan Administration is facing rising
domestic opposition to its role there and to its once ‘secret’
war against Nicaragua.
When the thread of the Israeli arms industry that is
woven between US foreign policy and Latin America is
unraveled, the logic and true motives of imperialist policy
world - wide become obvious. Israeli and US actions in Latin
America exemplify the mechanism of expansion and
intervention that are landmarks of imperialism and Zionism.
Israeli arms trade in Latin America is but a modification of its
aggression and expansion in the Middle East.
US-Israeli cooperation in the arms market
Since 1971, ‘Israel’ has emerged as a major manufacturer
and exporter of arms, not only to Latin America, but to other
countries as well. According to statistics gathered by the CIA,
‘Israel’ placed first in arms exports to Latin America and sub-
Saharan Africa, and fifth in the world market in 1980 (ADC
“Tsrael’s Arms Exports” Background Paper no. 8, ADC
Research Institute). This amazing growth was accomplished
during the years 1970-80, when ‘Israel’ increasingly
militarized and strengthened its economy by boosting its
arms industry. Since the Likud took power in 1977, arms
exports have seen a six - fold increase from $425 million to
nearly $2 billion.
During a visit to Honduras in December 1982, then
Defense Minister Sharon made a deal for the Israeli military
industries that included 12 Kfir combat jets and 50 advisors,
vielding $25 million for the Israeli economy. In the same
Liberals Exposed
The close cooperation between the US and ‘Israel’ on the
arms market poses a dilemma for certain liberal US
Congressmen who battle against US interventionism in
Central America, yet whole heartedly embrace the Zionist
state. The contradiction between posing as the champions of
human rights on the one hand, yet supporting Israeli actions
at all costs, should not escape the American public's attention
for long. Unfortunately, up until recently, not enough
opposition has been generated to this two - faced position
taken by such Senators as Edward Kennedy and US
Representative Steven Solarz. However, during the August
27th March on Washington to commemorate the 20th
anniversary of the famous speech by Martin Luther King,
Israeli involvement in arming Guatemala was given
prominent attention by several speakers. It was notable also |
that the American Jewish Congress (which is Zionist - |
dominated) refused to be a part of the coalition that
sponsored the march, giving the reason that the goals
diverted too much from the goals in 1963.
period, Reagan chose Honduras as the base of intervention
against the revolutionaries in El Salvador and Nicaragua.
Within the realm of close US - Israeli cooperation, Israeli
advisors will assist both US and Honduran troops in anti-
insurgent warfare, and impart the tactics used in Lebanon
against Palestinian and Lebanese fighters and civilians.
Military strategy and ‘secrets’ are an integral part of the
Israeli arms trade; like the weapons themselves, these are
battle-tested, due to Zionism’s long history of aggression.
Israeli expertise stands behind the May opening of a
munitions factory in Guatemala under the auspices of the
army there. As pointed out in Gramna newspaper, Havana,
October 30th, “The Israeli presence as a regional arms
manufacturer based in Guatemala serves to greatly shorten
supply and communications lines along the puppet armies of |
the United States now coordinated in the Central America
Defense Council (CONDECA). We must stress that one of
the important decisions adopted by CONDECA military
.commanders at their recent meeting in Guatemala was to
supply all Central American armies (with the exception of
Nicaragua) with a single type of weapon and ammunition.
The idea clearly hinges on supplies of Israeli weapons made
in Guatemala”.
‘Israel’ has made other deals that have helped the US
implement its policy in Central America. When there was an
apparent impasse in the US Congress about which regime
should receive the “scarce” US allocations available, ‘Israel’
suggested that the US allow certain Latin American countries
to spend part of their military credits with ‘Israel’, thus
reducing the outright grants of military aid to ‘Israel’ at a time
when public opinion was against the Israeli aggression in
Lebanon. As reported by the Israeli daily Davar in March
1982, ‘Israel’ had already allowed the US to divert $21 million
earmarked for the Zionist state to Salvador’s army, thus
bypassing Congressional attempts to limit military funding to
this notoriously brutal army. The ‘concession’ on the part of
the Zionists, however, was made on the condition that the
funds would be ‘repaid’ at a later date. Repayment could
come in the form of a larger share of the arms market in
Latin America, less restrictions on arms trade generally,
or outright military grants as in the past. Political repay-
ment should not be ruled out either, using these arrange-
ments to further annexation of the West Bank and Gaza
Strip.
Strategic alliance
The key to Israeli reliability as a US surrogate lies in the
fact that Zionist interests in these endeavors are equal to those
of the US. ‘Israel’ can be doubly efficient in the business of
counterrevolution, because it is not a mere puppet, but a state
whose very nature endows it with vital interests in ensuring
imperialist domination around the globe.
The arms trade entails political as well as economic
advantages for the Zionist state. In 1981, then Israeli Defense
Minister Sharon outlined a policy aimed at using the demands
for arms to secure not only dollars, but political and
diplomatic advantage as well, for example, by getting
countries to move their embassies to Jerusalem.
The economic advantages are, however, even more
crucial. Moshe Mandelbaum, governor of the Bank of Israel,
said: “Only one factor saved Israel from economic collapse,
and that is its arms trade”.
In this decade of militarization, ‘Israel’ gained new
advantages for its marketing strategy, opened through the
strategic cooperation with the US. The agreements with
Liberia, reached in August of this year, are a recent example
of this, as is the arms sale to Latin America dictatorships. In
August 1981, the Israeli Minister Meridor outlined the
relationship in market terms: “We say to the Americans,
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