A Partial Clearing of the Air : Israel vindicated on Patriot technology transfer; other questions remain

Israel’s official indignation over a published rumor that it had illicitly transferred U.S.-supplied Patriot missile technology to China has been proved merited. Thursday the State Department reported that a team of American inspectors who spent some days in Israel looking into the allegation could find no evidence to support it.

That determination is not surprising. While Israel maintains a considerable military link with China--the biggest customer, the State Department says, for Israeli arms exports--China has considerable military ties of its own with a number of Israel’s sworn enemies, including Syria and Iran. For Israel to share the secrets of the Patriot anti-missile system with Beijing would be to invite the prospect that its foes could soon have information that would make it easier for them to overcome the defenses provided by the Patriot. That has never made sense.

But if the rumor about the Patriot has been found to be without substance, other stories about unauthorized Israeli transfers of U.S. military technology apparently have been verified.

This week the State Department’s inspector general reported that Israel for a decade has engaged in a “systematic and growing pattern” of sales of American weapons technology. These transfers, said Sherman Funk, violated U.S. regulations and agreements with Israel. The published version of Funk’s classified report is heavily censored--down to the name of the offending arms seller--but State Department officials confirm that the reference is to Israel and that the major recipient countries have been China, South Africa and Chile.

What remains to be seen is what action, if any, the Bush Administration and Congress will take in response to the violations of arms transfers agreements. While admitting no wrongdoing, Israel has let it be known that Defense Minister Moshe Arens has tightened controls over arms sales, presumably meaning those containing American-supplied parts. The issue is a serious one in the occasionally--as now--rocky bilateral relationship, for it goes directly to issues of trust and fidelity to agreements. An alliance lacking these bedrock requisites is an alliance in trouble.