Israel halts French defense purchases amid arms embargo
ynetnews • • world
Key Points:
- Israel's Defense Ministry has decided to cease purchasing defense equipment from France following Paris's arms embargo during the Gaza war, opting to source from other European and international suppliers.
- This decision is part of a wider Israeli initiative over the past 18 months, led by Defense Minister Israel Katz and Director-General Amir Baram, to reduce reliance on foreign defense suppliers.
- Significant investments have been made to expand Israel's domestic weapons production, although officials acknowledge that full self-sufficiency is unlikely.
- France's embargo, linked to the Gaza conflict, has halted export licenses for defense sales to Israel and restricted Israeli defense firms from participating in French arms exhibitions.
- Prior to the embargo, France's defense exports to Israel were modest, mainly consisting of electronic components and raw materials, totaling about 20 million euros annually.
