Israeli Firms Exported Cruise Missile To China Sans Permits

Three Israeli companies and 10 suspects were indicted on Monday after they were found to have exported cruise missiles to China without a permit, Jerusalem Post reported.

Photo Insert: An Israeli cruise missile

The Economic Department of the State Attorney informed the suspects that it would be filing an indictment on charges of committing security offenses, offenses in the field of weapons, offenses under the Defense Export Control Law, offenses under the Anti Money Laundering Law, and more.

This would compound the problems of Israel as the US has banned NSO, another Israeli firm that had sold spyware and hacking technology to authoritarian regimes that used them to surveil US diplomats, journalists, political opponents, and businessmen.

Ephraim Menashe, the owner of the Solar Sky company, which manufactures cruise missiles, among other things, brokered a deal with entities from China who were competing for a tender to provide cruise missiles to the Chinese military.

The deal was mediated by Zion Gazit and Uri Shachar, the owners of a security consulting company, which deals in consulting and mediation between foreign investors and Israeli tech companies.

Menashe also hired Zvika and Ziv Naveh, the owners of Innocon, which produces UAVs for intelligence purposes. Menashe also recruited other people who worked to produce cruise missiles and all their parts.

The suspects produced dozens of cruise missiles and performed a number of tests with them in Israeli territory, endangering human life, according to the State Attorney.

The missiles were transferred to China in a concealed manner and Menashe received millions of dollars in return which he disguised as part of his connections with a foreign company. The weapons were not used by the Chinese military in the end.

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