Israeli buyers have had little trouble importing sensitive nuclear equipment from the United States. Less than one percent of U.S. applications to export nuclear dual-use equipment to Israel were denied from 1988-1992, according to a 1994 report by the U.S. General Accounting Office. Approximately 90 percent were approved, and the rest were returned without action, still pending, cancelled or suspended, the report said.
The GAO report found that during this period the United States approved 238 licenses for computers to Israeli end-users linked to Israel’s unsafeguarded nuclear program. The computers that were aproved were more powerful than any exported to sensitive end-users in other countries of proliferation concern. They were also more powerful than those used to develop many of the weapons in the U.S. nuclear arsenal. For 62 of the 238 licenses, the United States received government-to-government assurances against nuclear use of the computers, but U.S. officials have not verified compliance.
Israel has not joined the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) and is not a member of the international agreements to halt the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Israel has signed but not ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). Most U.S. exports of nuclear, chemical/biological or missile-related equipment or technology require a license for sale to Israeli buyers. Israel appears on all the Commerce Department control lists which name countries and projects of concern for nuclear, missile and chemical/biological proliferation.
The table below shows the types of nuclear-related goods Israel imported from the United States between 1988-1992:
Computers, electronic/digital, related
License applications: 618
Dollar value: $234,373,453
License approvals: 518
Dollar Value: $168,352,727
Fibrous/filamentary materials
License applications: 73
Dollar value: $11,269,921
License approvals: 72
Dollar Value: $11,269,921
Cathode ray oscilloscopes and components
License applications: 49
Dollar value: $1,214,747
License approvals: 41
Dollar Value: $1,127,033
Lasers/optical equipment
License applications: 42
Dollar value: $1,401,797
License approvals: 35
Dollar Value: $1,201,728
Specially designed pressure measuring instruments
License applications: 34
Dollar value: $570,403
License approvals: 29
Dollar Value: $507,870
Electronic devices/components
License applications: 28
Dollar value: $742,986
License approvals: 18
Dollar Value: $697,892
Measuring/calibrating/testing equipment
License applications: 17
Dollar value: $194,444
License approvals: 17
Dollar Value: $194,444
Switching devices/triggered spark gaps/thyratrons
License applications: 16
Dollar value: $218,631
License approvals: 9
Dollar Value: $118,117
Telecommunication transmission equipment/systems
License applications: 6
Dollar value: $359,239
License approvals: 6
Dollar Value: $359,239
Photosensitive components
License applications: 5
Dollar value: $46,321
License approvals: 5
Dollar Value: $46,321
Numerical control equipment
License applications: 3
Dollar value: $126,268
License approvals: 3
Dollar Value: $126,268
Vibration testing equipment (specified)
License applications: 3
Dollar value: $234,088
License approvals: 2
Dollar Value: $171,088
Streak cameras, shutters
License applications: 2
Dollar value: $243,300
License approvals: 2
Dollar Value: $243,300
Flatbed microdensitometers
License applications: 1
Dollar value: $37,000
License approvals: 1
Dollar Value: $37,000
Thermoelectric materials/devices
License applications: 2
Dollar value: $532
License approvals: 1
Dollar Value: $352
Cryogenic equipment/materials
License applications: 2
Dollar value: $245,642
License approvals: 1
Dollar Value: $3,930
Pipings/fittings/valves made/lined with named alloys
License applications: 2
Dollar value: $904
License approvals: 1
Dollar Value: $896
Inverters/converters/frequency changers/generators
License applications: 2
Dollar value: $21,288
License approvals: 1
Dollar Value: $20,500
Zirconium/nickel/lithium/hafnium/beryllium
License applications: 6
Dollar value: $92,412
License approvals: 1
Dollar Value: $1,730
Cylindrical disks
License applications: 1
Dollar value: $216,000
License approvals: 1
Dollar Value: $216,000
Electron tubes and specially designed components
License applications: 1
Dollar value: $14,000
License approvals: 1
Dollar Value: $14,000
Filament winding machines
License applications: 1
Dollar value: $190,000
License approvals: 0
Dollar Value: $0
Capacitors (specified)
License applications: 3
Dollar value: $9,848
License approvals: 0
Dollar Value: $0
Nuclear reactor/nuclear power plant-related equipment
License applications: 2
Dollar value: $7,433
License approvals: 0
Dollar Value: $0
Sensing equipment, corrosion-resistant
License applications: 1
Dollar value: $1,410
License approvals: 0
Dollar Value: $0
Helium, enriched in isotope-3
License applications: 1
Dollar value: $1,225
License approvals: 0
Dollar Value: $0
Nuclear Referral List Items Subtotal:
License applications: 921
Dollar value: $251,833,232
License approvals: 765
Dollar Value: $184,710,356
Non-Nuclear Referral List Items Subtotal:
License applications: 154
Dollar value: $9,433,674
License approvals: 115
Dollar Value: $8,662,671
Total:
License applications: 1,075
Dollar value: $261,266,906
License approvals: 880
Dollar Value: $193,373,027