After a year of repeated tensions between Jerusalem and Washington over the supply of arms to Israel for use in its wars in Gaza and Lebanon, Israel is beginning to reduce its dependence on the United States for weapons.
The Israeli Ministry of Defense moved this week to ramp up domestic arms manufacturing, a day after a committee tasked with developing a comprehensive defense plan for Israel for the next 10 years recommended that Israel achieve “arms independence” .
In a step toward greater independence, the Defense Ministry on Tuesday signed two contracts totaling $275 million with Israeli manufacturer Elbit Systems for the provision of heavy bombs to the Israel Defense Forces and for the production of raw materials. The purpose was to construct a new facility.
Heavy bombs are among the weapons the United States has delayed shipping to Israel under pressure from the Biden administration to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza. Factions of the Democratic Party have recently voted in favor of blocking or restricting arms transfers to Israel.
According to the Ministry of Defense, the raw material plant is aimed at “reducing dependence on imported raw materials.”
Defense Ministry Secretary (Re) Eyal Zamir said Israel is working towards “full independence in both regions.”
“This is a central lesson from the war that allows the IDF to continue to operate strongly in all theaters,” Zamir added.
On Monday, a government-appointed committee led by former Israeli National Security Adviser Jacob Nagel will review how the Israel Defense Forces should respond to security challenges, increase its forces and use its budget. After being tasked with making recommendations on the issue, it submitted its findings to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. into the next decade. A version of the report has been released to the public.
Arms independence is one of seven areas the Nagel commission said Israel should focus on increasing its defense budget, but the amount it recommends Israel spend is classified. .
The commission noted that since the war began with Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, the need for independence in arms production “has gone from critical to serious.”
“Armor stockpiles became a determining factor in operational management and deeply influenced the ability to advance military and diplomatic moves,” the report said. “This war profoundly challenged many of the practices that had relied for years on imports, primarily from the United States, but not only: consumption rates did not match supplies on Israeli manufacturing lines. , imports of arms and materials were not meeting the required pace.
“The world as a whole is becoming more complex and less patient and tolerant of Israel’s needs,” the report warns. “The entire supply chain that Israel relies on, including the purchase of systems and products, and the purchase of parts and raw materials for independent production, is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain.”
The main reasons for Israel’s inability to procure the necessary weapons were “the international arms race, primarily due to the Russian-Ukrainian war (and) the pressure on Israel, primarily due to political decisions, public pressure, and the interests of decision-makers. “Increasing barriers to exports.” ”
The report states that these challenges are “expected to worsen in the future, regardless of the type of government in the United States.”
The Nagel commission warned that while the fact that other conflicts were ongoing at the same time was a diplomatic advantage for Israel, the war in Ukraine meant Jerusalem and Kiev were competing for arms purchases. The committee warned that Taiwan is also likely to strengthen its stockpiles in the near future.
The report further states that “Israel needs to consider a scenario in which the United States is unable to provide all its military supplies because it is engaged in a larger war, but Israel needs prompt supplies.” There is. A conflict between the United States and its East Asian rivals or with Russia could certainly create a situation in which the United States would not be able to comply with Israel’s demands. ”
The Nagel Commission stated that the solution is “a strategy to build arms independence…Building Israel’s defense industrial base in an informed and economic manner is central to national security and economic growth.” It must be a positive element.”
Details of the critical military, infrastructure, and research areas in which the commission recommended further independence for Israel remained secret.
The committee also noted that the military industry is the core of Israeli industry in general, and growth in this sector can strengthen the Israeli economy.
