WASHINGTON — Sen. Dianne Feinstein has warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that TAAS-Israel Industries’ attempt to circumvent President Clinton’s ban on importing assault weapons would be a “slap in the face” and a sign of “utter disrespect.”
Feinstein, a San Francisco Democrat, called on him to quash any effort to undermine Clinton’s executive order, signed on April 6.
TAAS was reportedly considering jointly producing and marketing Uzis through O.F. Mossberg & Sons, the New Haven, Conn.-based gun manufacturer.
After reports earlier this month that TAAS would try to avoid the ban by manufacturing Uzis in the United States, Feinstein’s staff met with Israeli Embassy officials who, she said, claimed the reports were “not accurate” and that “no decisions” were made.
Earlier this week, TAAS seemed to end the controversy when it announced it was abandoning its plans to manufacture the Uzis in the United States.
“It is not worthwhile damaging relations with the U.S. for an Uzi,” said Arik Shor, vice president of Israel Military Industries.
Prior to that announcement, Feinstein had written in a letter to Netanyahu that it was her “sincere hope” that those assurances are true.
“If they are not, this decision, which the newspaper said has the stamp of approval of your Defense Ministry, would be a blatant slap in the face to President Clinton,” Feinstein wrote. “It would also be a sign of utter disrespect for the lives and safety of the American people…
“I seek your categorical assurances that Israel will not seek to evade the president’s executive order by making arrangements to manufacture Uzis or other Israeli-designed assault weapons in the U.S.”
Feinstein referred to Netanyahu’s letter to her on the matter last autumn, stating that American lives are of “grave concern” to him.
A TAAS-Mossberg deal, therefore, would be “wholly inconsistent with the sentiment you expressed to me,” Feinstein wrote last week.