A diplomatic scandal that erupted Wednesday demonstrated once more the depth of Israel’s dubious relations with Myanmar (formerly Burma), which faces trial in the International Court of Justice in The Hague over allegations for the genocide of the country’s Rohingya Muslim minority.
For years Israel secretly authorized weapon sales to Myanmar, even after the accusations of mass slaughter, rapes and the burning of Rohingya villages become known and after a European Union arms embargo and U.S. sanctions on the country. Only the tenacious battle waged by a small group of Israeli human rights activists, headed by lawyer Eitay Mack, brought an official halt to this trade.