HJS Friends of Israel Report FINAL_HJS Friends of Israel Report FINAL.qxd 06/02/2014 09:55 Page 10 ADDED VALUE: ISRAEL’S STRATEGIC WORTH TO THE EU AND ITS MEMBER STATES Sales of weapons and Joint training and NATO homeland-security systems Israel conducts joint training exercises with European Israel’s arms exports jumped 74%, in 2013,33 making militaries nearly every year. In November and the country of under 8 million people the world’s December 2013, it hosted the German; Italian; Polish; sixth-largest arms exporter – after military-technology and American air forces, near Eilat, for its latest heavyweights the US, Russia, France, the UK, and international exercise. Codenamed ‘Blue Flag’, the Germany. In 2012, Israel exported $1.6 billion (€1.16 drill involved hundreds of aircraft and a thousand billion), in military-related technology, to EU states, a crew members simulating both asymmetric figure surpassed only by Israel’s arms sales to the US (counterinsurgency) operations and traditional and India.34 air-to-air combat.39 Other recent drills have included A representative example is the ‘Spike’ anti-tank special-forces training with the Czech Republic,40 as portable missile system, designed by the defence firm, well as long-distance air-force bombing runs with Rafael, and sold – in consortium with two German Greece; Italy; the Netherlands; and Germany.41 42 counterparts – as ‘EuroSpike’. The UK; Spain; The bulk of EU-Israel joint training, however, is Belgium; Italy; and the Netherlands have all acquired conducted within the NATO framework. the system in large numbers, and, for years, it has seen All but two of NATO’s 28 member states are situated extensive use in coalition operations in Afghanistan.35 in Europe, and, naturally, a significant portion of the Israeli equipment also enhances Europeans’ personal EU’s military co-operation with Israel occurs under security. Last November’s Milipol conference in Paris – NATO auspices. The NATO-Israel relationship has the marquee convention for the homeland-security expanded significantly over the last decade. In 2005, industry – featured dozens of Israeli firms offering Jaap de Hoop Scheffer became the first NATO chief everything from cybersecurity tools, to emergency to visit Israel, and, the following year, Israel management, to aviation and transportation security.36 participated in ‘Operation Active Endeavour’ – NATO’s signature counterterrorism and counter- Few Europeans are aware that Israeli technology trafficking drill in the Mediterranean.43 44 safeguards such iconic symbols as Buckingham Palace, Heathrow Airport, the Eiffel Tower, and the Shortly after, the two sides approved a long-term plan Vatican.37 38 for co-operation in 27 areas, making Israel the first non-European country to reach such an agreement. 33 “‘Peak Defence’ on Horizon as US, UK & Europe Erodes Competitive Edge,” That co-operation was upgraded further, in 2008, IHS, 24 June 2013, available at: http://press.ihs.com/press-release/ allowing for “an exchange of intelligence information country-industry-forecasting/peak-defence-horizon-us-uk-europe-erodes- competitive-edge (accessed 9 November 2013). 34 Gili Cohen, “Overtaking China and Italy: Israel ranks as the world’s sixth 39 “Five Air Forces to Participate in Israel’s ‘Blue Flag’ Air Combat Exercise,” largest arms exporter in 2012,” Haaretz, 25 June 2013, available at: Defense Update, 4 November 2013, available at: http://defense-update.com/ http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.531956; 20131104_five-air-forces-participate-israels-blue-flag-air-combat-exercise.html see also: Alon Ben David, “Israel Among Leading s Exporters In 2012,” Arm (accessed 19 November Aviation Week, 5 August 2013, available at: http://www.aviationweek.com/ 2013). Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/AW_08_05_2013_p76-600058.xml; see also: 40 “Czech Republic discusses joint military training with Israel,” “The Arms Trade between EU Member States and Israel – Briefing Paper,” Azeri Press Agency, 17 May 2013, available at: http://en.apa.az/news/193008 Quaker Council for European Affairs (2009), available at: http://www.qcea.org/ (accessed 5 November 2013). 2010/12/bp-eu-israel-arms-trade/ (all accessed 17 December 2013). 41 Tsilla Hershco, “Israel – EU Security and Defence Relations – Divergences 35 “EuroSpike GmbH,” Eu and Convergences,” Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs, available at: roSpike, available at: http://www.eurospike.com/index.html (accessed 1 November 2013). http://diplomacyandforeignaffairs.com/israel-eu-security-and-defense- relations-divergences- 36 “Israel at Milipol Paris 2013,” Israel Export Institute, 19-22 November 2013, and-convergences/ (accessed 4 November 2013). available at: http://www.export.gov.il/files/publications/milipol2013-e-book/ 42 Yoav Zitun, “IAF holds distant-strike exercise,” Ynet, 11 February 2011, milipol%202013%20ppt.html (accessed 3 November 2013). available at: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4142862,00.html 37 “Israel: Homeland Security Industry,” The Israel Export & International (accessed 6 November 2013). Cooperation Institute (2012), ava e at: http://www.export.gov.il/ 43 “NATO/Israel Cooperation in the framework of the Mediterranean ilabl uploadfiles/11_2012/cyber%20security_pages.pdf Dialogue,” NATO, 16 October 2006, available at: http://www.nato.int/docu/ (accessed 2 November 2013). pr/2006/p06-123e.htm; see also: Shlomo Ben-Ami srael and NATO – , “I 38 See: Itai Smuskowitz, “Israeli company to secure Vatican,” Ynet, Between Membership and Partnership,” Project Syndicate, 5 January 2010, 20 November 2008, available at: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/ available at: http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/ 0,7340,L-3626206,00.html; see also: Andrea Tornielli, “The Vatican israel-and-nato---between-membership-and-partnership#cv invests in cutting edge technology and regular bug-clearing operations,” HWAr69BkIP3HVJ.99 (both accessed 13 November 2013). Vatican Insider, 31 Oc 44 Rick Rozoff, “Israel: Global NATO’s 29th Member,” Centre for Research on tober 2013, available at: http://vaticaninsider.la stampa.it/en/the-vatican/detail/articolo/vaticano-datagate-29162/ Globalization, 17 January 2010, available at: http://www.globalresearch .ca/ (both accessed 8 November 2013). israel-global-nato-s-29th-member (accessed 13 November 2013). 8