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EU threatens Israel with arms embargo

Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Wednesday, April 10, 2002

LONDON Ñ Israel is facing the threat of an arms embargo by the European Union.

Several EU countries have relayed warnings that they would halt military supplies to Israel unless it ends the military campaign in the West Bank.

They said the EU will debate proposals for an embargo on Israel concerning all products that could be used in the war against the Palestinian Authority.

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana has been lobbying member states to declare an embargo when EU foreign ministers meet on Monday in Luxembourg. Solana distributed the text of a speech he had planned to give to the European Parliament on Tuesday that called for an embargo against Israel. But Solana, without explanation, discarded his text and did not call for a halt in weapons shipments to Israel.

"I appreciate the measures already taken by some member states to halt or suspend supplies to Israel of military equipment and spare parts that may be used in action against civilians," Solana said in the prepared text.

So far, Belgium, Britain, France, Germany and Italy are said to be considering a weapons embargo against Israel. Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel has already announced that Brussels would end all military sales to Israel. Belgium is a supplier of light weapons for security forces.

Industry sources said such countries as Britain and Germany have already slowed down or halted the export of weapons or components to Israel. This has included equipment for Israel's Merkava Mk-4 main battle tank.

"We can confirm there is a delay in giving export licenses from Germany for various components," an Israeli Defense Ministry statement said.

The Defense Ministry has ordered parts for the Merkava's GD 883 engine and transmission. Israel is Germany's seventh largest defense client and has purchased 177 million euros in such tank and submarine systems in 2000.

German officials acknowledge that Berlin has withheld components for the Merkava since January. They said that in all Germany has blocked 120 export licenses.

Last month, Israeli Defense Ministry director-general Amos Yaron appealed to visiting German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer to expedite the approval of the export licenses. Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer issued a similar appeal to Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

Israel plans to produce around 400 Merkava Mk-4 tanks over the next four years. Each tank is estimated to cost about $3.7 million.

The Merkava Mk-4 is scheduled to be exhibited for the first time during Independence Day celebrations next week. Several Mk-4 tanks are already being used for training and trial tests by the military's armored corps.

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