Britain refused Israel military equipment for fear it would add to ’internal repression’
By Aluf Benn
Haaretz
▻http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/britain-refused-israel-military-equipment-for-fear-it-would-add-to-internal
Britain refused to provide Israel with certain types of military equipment in recent years out of fears there was a “risk of their use for internal repression” and a “risk of contributing to internal tensions or conflict in the recipient country.” The equipment, Britain worried, might also damage “regional stability” or be transferred from Israel due to the “risk of diversion or re-export to undesirable end-users.”
From January 2008 to December 2012, Britain rejected 52 Israeli requests to buy military or dual-use equipment (which can be used for both civilian and military purposes), according to a new report by the the British government’s Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. The department oversees security exports and publishes regular reports on permits granted or denied to purchase arms, military equipment or civilian items that are monitored because they can be put to security uses.