Q&A: Investing in Weapons Companies
Investing in Weapons Companies
Question
Hello Rabbi,
I wanted to ask about investing in weapons companies and military industries: is there any halakhic or moral problem with that? As I understand it, on the one hand these weapons can be used for good purposes, such as mechanizing the battlefield and replacing human roles with robots, and perhaps also shortening the duration of fighting and reducing the number of casualties in military conflicts by increasing the lethality of the weapons. On the other hand, it feels to me as though there is also an aspect here of harming the proper ordering of the world by developing instruments of destruction, when instead one could invest in medical or technological industries and thereby contribute to society.
I assume that economically there is a strong financial advantage to this, because I estimate that in the long run nationalism in the world will strengthen and lead to larger defense budgets, and already today we are seeing a return of nationalism in Britain, the United States, and even France and Germany.
What do you think?
Answer
Hello.
As a rule, investment considerations are not charity considerations but commercial ones. When you want to donate, donate to whomever you especially value. But investments are made in order to profit. Of course, if there is a prohibition involved, then one must refrain.
Specifically, I do not think there is any barrier to investing in companies that deal in weapons, unless you have information that they make improper use of them. This is especially so if it is an investment of an amount that in any case will not really change the picture (as opposed to major tycoons). Although the categorical imperative says that one should consider what one would want to be a general rule. So the size of the sum is only one more consideration as a supporting factor for leniency.
Discussion on Answer
Maybe I forgot to mention it, but I meant foreign weapons companies (perhaps you thought I meant Israeli companies, which are careful not to sell to parties hostile to Israel).
Improper use also includes genocide or other kinds of corruption (crime organizations and cartels). In general there are restrictions under international law, although obviously that is not fully enforceable. But if there is no clear information, you cannot prohibit investing in such sales just because they are suspicious.
What do you mean by the words "improper use"? They may sell weapons even to people who are enemies of the Jewish people, or just corrupt people. From the companies' perspective, what matters is that the customer pays, not what his moral level is or what he intends to do with the weapon.