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In 1970, Sri Lanka severed diplomatic relations with Israel under pressure from Arab states. Yet about a year after the outbreak of Sri Lanka’s brutal civil war, an Israeli Interests Section was opened in 1984 at the U.S. Embassy in Colombo.

Files from Israel’s Foreign Ministry from the mid-1980s concerning relations with Sri Lanka – recently partially opened to the public in the Israel State Archives – confirm information that had surfaced in the press over the years and reveal new details.

According to a review prepared on December 11, 1987, by Israel’s Foreign Ministry, Sri Lanka initially agreed to the establishment of the Interests Section in 1984 because it wanted Israel to “assist in solving the Tamil terrorism problem.” By 1988, Israel had sold the country military equipment worth $30 million.

In a cable sent on December 8, 1985, the director of the Foreign Ministry’s Asia Department wrote that Israel had sold Sri Lanka six Dvora-class fast patrol boats for $10 million. In another cable dated June 20, 1986, the head of the Israeli Interests Section in Colombo, Haim Divon, noted that Israel had also sold Mini-Uzi submachine guns “for considerable sums.” In a cable dated June 15, 1987, Divon reported that Israel had also sold Sri Lanka electronic fences, communications equipment, machine guns, and ammunition.

Israel trained the personal bodyguards of President Junius Richard Jayewardene. In a cable sent on Aug. 18, 1986, Divon wrote: “Last week we conducted a shooting course for about 30 members of the president’s security unit.” He added that the training lasted four days and received praise.

How Israel trained Sri Lankan military forces

Israel also trained Sri Lankan military forces. In a cable dated Jan. 23, 1987, Divon reported that Israeli military instructors had been publicly presented as “agricultural advisers.” In another cable sent the same day, he wrote that “the Tamils control the Jaffna enclave without challenge,” and that according to the commander of the Israeli training team, local forces believed the training would prepare them to “capture Jaffna in a swift offensive,” with trainees’ questions during exercises focusing on problems likely to arise during such an assault.

In a cable sent on February 15, 1987, Aryeh Mekel, the political adviser to Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, suggested that Shamir inform U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz that Israel had responded positively to “Sri Lanka’s urgent request for assistance in security preparations against Tamil underground activity.” He said the assistance included “training officers as well as the urgent shipment of weapons and ammunition worth $3 million.”

On March 18, 1987, Divon reported meeting Sri Lanka’s finance minister. Divon........

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