Israel must lessen dependence on foreign weaponry - editorial

Much has surprised Israelis in the post-October 7 world.

They were surprised by a threat 2,000 km. away in Yemen called the Houthis. They were surprised by the degree, depth, and intensity of antisemitism in the West. And they were surprised that the Jewish state was dependent on basic armaments – rifles, artillery shells, mortars, and bombs – from outside sources, primarily the US.

For many, the last surprise came as a jolt. Granted, Israel needed the US for major weapons platforms like fighter jets, aerial refueling aircraft, and heavy-lift helicopters. But for bombs and mortars? Wasn’t that a throwback to a bygone era, to the pre- and early-state days when Zionist arms merchants traveled the world looking for machine guns, mortars, and refitted planes to bring back to Israel?

Hadn’t Israel, now one of the world’s leading exporters of arms selling state-of-the-art weaponry around the globe, moved past that?

Israel is still dependent on foreign weapons

In the debate that followed the incident over why the IDF sent in troops to destroy the building, rather than doing it from the air, one reason proffered was that the IDF was reserving the type of bomb that would have been needed to level the building for other operations. In other words, Israel was afraid of running out of bombs, and the IDF was carefully monitoring its supply of ordnance to be able to fight a long war on numerous fronts.

The long-term danger of this type of dependence on the US for arms became even more acutely evident in November, when Sen. Bernie Sanders sponsored three different bills that would have embargoed future arms sales to Israel, including the sale of Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) bomb guidance kits that turn “dumb” bombs into precision-guided ones, as well as tank and mortar shells.

Though the bills were roundly defeated, about one-third of Democratic senators voted for the measures, something that justifiably causes concern when considering whether the US will continue to be as forthcoming in its sale of arms to Israel a decade from now.

It is for that reason that the signing on Tuesday of two deals worth NIS 1 billion with Elbit Systems is so welcome. One deal will provide the military with thousands of heavy bombs, and the other will build a facility to produce raw energetic materials – all previously imported – that are essential for manufacturing propellants and explosives for rockets and missiles.

We believe that anything that advances greater arms and weapon independence is to be applauded.

“Both agreements will ensure sovereign capability in producing bombs and munitions of all types,” said Defense Ministry Director-General Eyal Zamir, adding that the aim is to “achieve full independence in these two areas.” This, he said, “is a central lesson from the war that will enable the IDF to continue operating powerfully in all theaters.”

Already in December, the Defense Ministry’s procurement division launched a local tender to purchase tens of thousands of assault rifles to replace the US-made M4.

Additionally, it also explored establishing the first-ever local production line of one-ton bombs, a type of bomb whose delivery from the US was delayed over disagreements over how the war was being waged in Gaza. In addition, the Defense Ministry signed another large contract with Elbit over the summer to supply it with artillery and tank shells that were previously bought abroad.

The war has highlighted Israel’s dependence on arms from abroad, overwhelmingly from the US. No country, especially not one of Israel’s size, can attain full weapons independence. But at the same time, this dependence can be reduced, so as to decrease the amount of leverage other nations – even friendly ones like the US – can have on Israel’s decision-making process during times of war. Tuesday’s announcement of the contract with Elbit moves the country in the right direction.