Fili’s world

It’s been brought to my attention that there is an interesting old book from 87 that’s has some chapters available online which details the arms connections between Israel and East-Asia. It’s quite interesting to read about the summaries on the arms deals between Israel and the East Asian tigers. Here are short quotes from “The Israeli Connection: Whom Israel Arms and Why” by Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi :

 Taiwan

[…] Taiwan moved closer to Israel as the United States was moving away from it (Butterfield, 1977), although there were earlier contacts. The Israeli Defense Ministry now operates a permanent mission in Taipei, charged with military cooperation. Taiwan is considered one of Israel’s most important partners in the development of military technology (Fishman, 1985b). Taiwan has been receiving weapons technology from Israel in its attempt to become self-sufficient in arming itself (Aronson, 1985). The results of those joint activities include thirty Dvora missile boats (known locally as Tsu-chiangs), Gabriel missiles produces in Taiwan under license. Shafrir air-to-air missiles, artillery guns and mortars (including a 127mm multiple rocket launcher), Galil rifles and Uzi submachine guns, electronic equiptment, and ammunition. But the cooperation goes beyond conventional weaponry : it has been reported that Israel has transferred to Taiwan both nuclear technology and chemical-warfare technology (Frenkel, 1983), and a CIA report states that Israel has provided intelligence training to the Taiwanese secret services (CIA, 1979).

Israel reportedly asked the United States for permission to sell Kfir jets to Taiwan in 1981 (Miller, 1981). According to the Christian Science Monitor, Israel acts as a U.S. proxy in supplying arms to Taiwan, since U.S. strategic interests and its global conception of a bipolar struggle dictates support for Taiwan, while open military aid is out of the question (Yemma, 1982). […]

Singapore

[…] The regime in Singapore is among the most conservative in Asia, and its ties with Israel date back to the early 1960s. An Israeli military mission was stationed in Singapore between the end of 1965 and May of 1974. The high point of the Israeli presence there was 1969,when forty-five Israeli advisers were on active duty (Chee, 1985). In 1969, fifty used French made AMX-13 tanks were delivered, and in 1972, thirty-six Israeli Gabriel missiles. Singapore now produces arms under license from Israel (Quinn-Judge, 1982).

According to the CIA (1979), Singapore is the location of the main Mossad station in Asia. […]

Would be interesting to read a more recent article on the subject.