The Japanese Robot Controversy Lurking in Israel’s Military Supply Chain

Japan, for example, makes it comparatively casual to export dual-use technologies to the United States and Europe, and vice versa. Because they are recognized arsenic trusted countries nether Japanese export law, companies successful those states are mostly escaped to usage Japanese dual-use exertion to nutrient arms—and to, successful turn, export those arms to different states (subject to their ain export controls).

This, itself, has drawn the BDS activists’ ire: They privation FANUC to extremity its narration with American defence contractors similar General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin, which merchantability sizeable precocious weaponry to Israel. “We request that specified concern relationships beryllium instantly terminated and that the 2 companies ne'er bash concern with each different again,” Imano said successful June. But the activists spell further, arguing that FANUC is, contempt what it says publicly, really doing concern with Israeli defence firms.

“FANUC sells its robots and provides attraction and inspection services to Israeli subject companies specified arsenic Elbit Systems,” Imano claimed.

FANUC has denied this charge. “When we merchantability products to Israel, we transportation retired the indispensable transaction screening successful accordance with Japan's Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act, corroborate the user's concern activities and intended use, and bash not merchantability to Israel if the products are for subject use,” the institution wrote to HuffPost.

The institution added that, aft reviewing their records of the past 5 years, “we person not sold immoderate products for subject usage to the Israeli companies Elbit Systems, IAI, BSEL, Rosenshine Plast, oregon AMI from our institution oregon our European subsidiary. We person besides not sold immoderate products for subject usage to different Israeli companies from our institution oregon our European subsidiary.” The institution identified 1 lawsuit wherever 1 of their robotic arms had been sold to an Israeli institution that produces subject hardware “after confirming that the instrumentality was to beryllium utilized for civilian aesculapian purposes.”

At the aforesaid time, the institution admitted that erstwhile they merchantability done intermediaries, of which Israel has several, they are not ever capable to warrant “who the last lawsuit is.”

There is, however, ample grounds that suggests FANUC arms person made their mode into the Israel defence manufacturing sector. Multiple occupation listings posted by Elbit Systems, the superior home supplier of the Israel Defense Forces, database “knowledge of FANUC … controls” arsenic either an vantage to occupation applicants oregon a requirement. One specified occupation listing, from June, comes from Elbit Cyclone, the part that won a declaration to nutrient fuselage components for the F-35 combatant jet. In January, Israel's Ministry of Defense published a video showing a FANUC robotic limb astatine an Elbit factory, handling munitions.

Another Israeli company, Bet Shemesh Engines (BSEL), much than a decennary agone created marketing videos and uploaded photos to their institution website featuring the FANUC robotic arms. The CV of a erstwhile worker suggests the institution utilized FANUC robotics to assemble craft engines, which whitethorn beryllium utilized for civilian alternatively than subject purposes. Bet Shemesh counts the Israeli Air Force arsenic a large client.