Israeli Firms See a Global Market for Their Anti-terrorism Know-how

by Edmund Sanders and Batsheva Sobelman


As the threat of terrorism spreads, Israel has turned domestic security technology into one of its biggest exports.


More than 400 Israeli companies export about $1.5 billion annually in domestic security goods and technology, including biometric devices, tear gas canisters, anti-intrusion systems, airport screening machines, explosives detectors and remote-controlled vehicles.

Among the offerings at a recent security expo in Tel Aviv was document-scanning software from IntuView that not only translates Arabic text but also searches for key words and phrases, including names, dates and Koranic verses commonly cited by extremists. Software engineer Amit Seker said the U.S. Army has bought the software.

"The proximity of Israeli culture to Islamic culture produces a better understanding of the issues," said Doron Havazelet, director of the new Homeland Security Institute at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

Edmund Sanders and Batsheva Sobelman (Los Angeles Times)

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