The Japanese Robot Controversy Lurking in Israel's Military Supply Chain

Activists in Japan earlier this year accused one of the country's largest robotics manufacturers of profiting off the war in Gaza, accusing it of violating its own company policies in aiding the Israeli defense industry. At a protest outside the headquarters of FANUC Corporation earlier this summer, the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) protesters demanded the Japanese conglomerate cut off ties with Israel and all the defense companies that contribute to Israel's military. "We also call on FANUC not to be further complicit in genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity," Taizo Imano, one of the protest organizers, said in June. Specifically, Imano and the rest of the BDS activists believe Japan is breaching its own export controls. If true, it would significantly alter how Israel acquires high-end machinery for its defense sector.