The Defense Ministry has decided to stop buying defense equipment from France and shift procurement to other suppliers in Europe and elsewhere after Paris imposed an arms embargo during the Gaza war that remains in effect, ynet learned on Tuesday.
The move reflects a broader Israeli effort over the past 18 months to reduce dependence on foreign defense suppliers, a push led by Defense Minister Israel Katz and ministry Director-General Amir Baram.
Officials said billions of shekels have been invested in expanding domestic weapons production, although they acknowledged that complete self-sufficiency is unlikely.
France has publicly said its embargo is tied to the war in Gaza. At the same time, France’s defense industry competes with Israeli firms in some sectors.
Before the war, France exported about 20 million euros in defense equipment to Israel each year, a relatively small volume given its position as one of the world’s leading arms exporters. Most of those exports consisted of electronic components and raw materials.
After the war began, France stopped issuing export licenses for defense sales to Israel and also moved to restrict Israeli defense companies seeking to exhibit at arms shows in the country.
Despite existing contracts for certain weapons components, Israeli defense officials have now decided to seek alternatives as part of the ministry’s wider strategy to strengthen local production and reduce exposure to political restrictions abroad.