As the expiration of the military aid agreement with the United States approaches, and in light of the prime minister’s declaration that within a few years Israel must sever its dependence on America, only one task remains: finding a solution to the gap that will emerge. That solution is Israel’s homegrown defense industries.
In May 2024, the then president of the United States, Joe Biden, gave an interview to CNN and made an unequivocal declaration in his own voice: if the IDF entered Rafah, the United States would not supply the weapons required for that campaign. Biden chose to deliver the message directly, not through ‘associates,’ ‘sources close to him,’ or senior administration officials. He himself drew a sharp and unmistakable red line for Israel’s prime minister, one that could not be crossed without disastrous consequences.
That moment distilled more clearly than any other the enormous challenge Israel faced throughout the war, when our armaments independence did not rest in our own hands but in those of other countries, friendly and allied as they may be.
This week, at a press conference, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that soldiers were killed in Gaza because of the weapons embargo imposed on Israel. I cannot verify that claim. At the same time, it is clear to everyone that Israel has been managing its munitions economy throughout the war. More than once, we were forced to choose the intensity and type of firepower to avoid emptying stockpiles that would have led to an immediate danger to national security. Buildings that could have been struck from the air were instead booby-trapped with hundreds of tons of explosives carried by IDF soldiers, with all the risks that entailed.
Today, Donald Trump is sitting in the White House. He has contributed greatly to Israel’s security since taking office, and we are all grateful for his actions. But Trump will not be president forever. In the near future, do not be surprised if a president emerges who was raised and educated on campuses saturated with hostility toward Israel. Zohran Mamdani, who swept New York by storm despite his extreme positions, demonstrates that this is not a theoretical concern but a troubling reality.
Add to this the fact that in 2028 the military aid agreement signed during President Barack Obama’s term, worth $38 billion, is set to expire. Combined with the prime minister’s statement that Israel must detach itself from dependence on American aid within a few years, the conclusion is unavoidable. The gap must be addressed, and the answer lies in Israel’s defense industries.
Israel Aerospace Industries, Rafael, Elbit and other companies have proven in recent years their ability to produce advanced weapons systems that have become globally renowned. These industries are experiencing record demand, order backlogs worth tens of billions of dollars, financial stability, and highly skilled employees who turn vision into reality. There is no challenge they have failed to solve. The prime minister, the defense minister and the finance minister must advance a responsible national policy to end Israel’s dependence on other countries for armaments. It is possible.
Throughout the war, we repeatedly faced shortages and the absence of critical components for some of the systems we produce. As Israelis tend to do, when essential equipment was unavailable, improvisation and Israeli ingenuity operated at full force. We managed to rapidly produce alternative components that served us well and reduced dependence on some of the imported parts used in weapons manufacturing.
Once Israel defines armaments independence as a national goal and budgets accordingly, within a few years we can reach a situation in which a significant portion of munitions and weapons systems are manufactured domestically. This would be a game changer, enabling Israel to maneuver more freely on the future battlefield. It is critical to the country’s resilience and strength.
Yair KatzPhoto: Yair SagiAt the same time, it must be remembered that everything begins with human capital. It is no secret that we are now competing with global giants, led by Nvidia, in the fight for the most talented professionals in the Israeli economy. We are supposed to operate in a free market, yet in practice our hands are tied. Instead of removing unnecessary bureaucratic barriers and allowing us to recruit the best minds who could invent the next Arrow missile system, we find ourselves struggling against tech giants that can pay three times as much.
In today’s era, defense technology is one of the cornerstones of Israel’s security, no less than the IDF, the Mossad and the Shin Bet. Can anyone imagine what would have happened during Operation ‘With a Lion’s Courage’ without the Arrow system? Entire neighborhoods would have been wiped off the map.
If we fail to retain the country’s best minds within the defense industries, there will be no one to implement the plan for Israeli armaments independence. We will once again be dependent on the goodwill of other nations, which, when the moment of truth arrives, will always prioritize their own interests over our security needs.
That is the point of departure. Policy must be shaped accordingly.
Yair Katz is secretary general of the national workers union at Israel Aerospace Industries