Although Israel is one of the world's major exporters of military equipment, its military relies heavily on imported aircraft, guided bombs, and missiles to carry out what experts have defined as one of the most intense and destructive airstrikes in recent history. [1]
Israel's defense industry is a strategically important sector, a major employer, and a main supplier of the Israeli Defense Forces. [2] There are more than 150 active defense companies based in Israel with a combined annual revenue of over $3.5 billion. [3]
main article United States support for Israel in the Israel–Hamas war Since its founding, Israel has received approximately $310 billion (inflation-adjusted) in total economic and military aid from the United States, making it the largest cumulative recipient of US foreign aid. [4]
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) report, the United States is the main supplier of armaments to Israel, accounting for 69% of Israel's major conventional arms imports between 2019 and 2023. [5]
The United States provides annually to Israel with about $3.8 billion in military aid annually. Israel has been the largest recipient of US financial support to foreign aid since World War II, receiving a cumulative $158 billion through 2023 at current inflation-adjusted prices.
On 2016, the United States and Israel signed their third 10-year Memorandum of Understanding on military aid by undertaking $38 billion through 2028, including $33 billion in foreign military aid, plus $5 billion for missile defense, as part of a record. Israel used this aid to finance orders for 75 F-35 joint strike fighters, and stealth aircraft, It has used missile defense programs, including the jointly developed Iron Dome, Arrow, and David's Sling systems. the US sends to Israel Iron Dome air-defense missiles, small-diameter bombs, and JDAM kits which convert unguided bombs into GPS-guided weapons, advanced weaponry such as CH-53 heavy-lift helicopters, and KC-46 aerial refueling tankers. [6]
laser-guided missiles for its Apache gunship fleet, as well as 155mm shells, night-vision devices, bunker-buster munitions and new army vehicles. [7] The United States also provides high-level military consultancy to Israel. [8]
According to the SIPRI, Germany is one of the main suppliers of armaments to Israel, accounting for 30% of Israel's arms imports between 2019 and 2023. [5] According to the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development ( BMZ ) report, Germany's defense exports to Israel worth about $353 million have so far increased almost 10 times from last year. the Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) reported, that Germany supplies components of air defense systems and communication equipment to Israel. The arms exported included 3,000 portable anti-tank weapons and 500,000 rounds of ammunition for automatic or semi-automatic firearms. Most of the export licenses were granted for land vehicles and technology for the development, assembly, maintenance, and repair of weapons. [9] [1] [10]
According to the SIPRI, Italy is one of Israel's three biggest armaments suppliers along with the US and Germany, accounting for 1% of Israel's arms imports between 2019 and 2023. [5] Citing to Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), despite the government's assurances that they are under a law that bans the sale of arms to countries that are at war or are believed to be violating human rights, the sale of "arms and ammunition" reached $14.8 million last year. Italy's exports include helicopters and naval artillery. [1]
The total value of UK exports to Israel is unclear. In 2022, UK-approved arms export licenses to Israel were worth $52.5 million, but 10 "open" licenses were also issued with an unlimited value, the actual value of the export is unclear. Between the October 7 attack by Hamas and May 31, according to government statistics, Britain issued more than 108 arms export licenses to Israel. [11] The non-profit group Campaign Against Arms Trade has calculated that £574 million worth of arms export licenses have been granted to Israel since 2008, but this figure does not account for the value of open licenses. [12] In December 2023, Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq and the UK-based Global Legal Action Network launched a legal challenge over the UK's role in arms sales to Israel, calling on the UK to stop granting licenses for arms exports to Israel, after their written requests to suspend arms sales after the 7 October attack were ignored. Later, Britain's two premier human rights organizations, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch joined the campaign. Calls for an end to arms sales to Israel heightened after three British citizens were killed in World Central Kitchen aid convoy attack by Israel in central Gaza. [13] According to the Campaign Against Arms Trade, BAE Systems, the largest defense contractor in Europe and the seventh-largest in the world, provides about 15% of the components of the F-35 stealth combat aircraft used by Israel that were used in the recent bombing of Gaza. [14]
Trudeau admitted in late January that Canada had authorized military exports to Israel after the 7 October war. According to Al Jazeera, the Trudeau government approved at least $21 million in new licenses for military exports to Israel in the early months of the war. Some of the products sold include bombs, torpedoes, rockets, other explosive devices and charges, and related equipment and accessories. [15] On 5 March 2023, Human rights and pro-Palestinian advocates in Canada filed a lawsuit against the federal government to block companies from allowing them to export military goods and technology to Israel. [16]
The Gaza Strip, or simply Gaza, is a small, densely populated territory located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It is the smaller of the two Palestinian territories. Gaza is bordered by Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the east and north.
The Qatar Armed Forces are the military forces of the State of Qatar. Since 2015, Qatar has implemented mandatory military conscription with an average of 2,000 graduates per year. As of 2010, Qatar's defence expenditures added up to a total of $1.913 billion, about 1.5% of the national GDP, according to the SIPRI. Qatar has recently signed defence pacts with the United States in 2002 & 2013, with the United Kingdom in 2020, and with France in 1994.
The Saudi Arabian Armed Forces (SAAF), also known as the Royal Saudi Armed Forces, is part of the military forces of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It consists of the Royal Saudi Army, the Royal Saudi Navy, the Royal Saudi Air Force, the Royal Saudi Air Defense, and the Royal Saudi Strategic Missile Force. The King of Saudi Arabia is the Supreme commander-in-chief of all the Military Forces and forms military policy with the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Interior. The five Armed Forces are among eight military forces of Saudi Arabia, with the others including the Royal Saudi National Guard, the Royal Saudi Guard Regiment and the Royal Saudi Border Guards.
The Rafael Python (פיתון) is a family of air-to-air missiles (AAMs) built by the Israeli weapons manufacturer Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, formerly RAFAEL Armament Development Authority. Originally starting with the Shafrir series, the Shafrir-1 missile was developed in 1959, followed by the Shafrir-2 in early 1970s. Subsequently, the missiles were given the western name of "Python" by the parent company for export purposes, starting with the Python-3 in 1978. Since then, it has been further developed and evolved into the Python-4, Python-5, Derby and also, the SPYDER, an advanced ground-based air-defence system. Currently, the missiles are in service with the armed forces of over fifteen countries from around the world.
The arms industry, also known as the defence industry, military industry, or the arms trade, is a global industry which manufactures and sells weapons and military technology. Public sector and private sector firms conduct research and development, engineering, production, and servicing of military material, equipment, and facilities. Customers are the armed forces of states, and civilians. An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition – whether privately or publicly owned – are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination. Products of the arms industry include weapons, munitions, weapons platforms, military communications and other electronics, and more. The arms industry also provides other logistical and operational support.
The military budget of China is the portion of the overall budget of China that is allocated for the funding of the military of China. This military budget finances employee salaries and training costs, the maintenance of equipment and facilities, support of new or ongoing operations, and development and procurement of new weapons, equipment, and vehicles. Every March, as part of its annual state budget, China releases a single overall figure for national military expenditures.
JSC Rosoboronexport is the sole state intermediary agency for Russia's exports/imports of defense-related and dual use products, technologies and services. The Rosoboronexport Federal State Unitary Enterprise (FSUE) was set up in 2000 by a Decree of the President of Russia and is charged with implementation of the policy of the State in the area of military-technical cooperation between Russia and foreign countries. In 2007, the enterprise was re-registered as Rosoboronexport Open joint-stock company (OJSC). In 2011, Rostekhnologii non-profit state corporation acquired 100% of Rosoboronexport OJSC.
Military relations between Israel and the United States have been extremely close, reflecting shared security interests in the Middle East. Israel is designated as a major non-NATO ally by the U.S. government. A major purchaser and user of U.S. military equipment, Israel is also involved in the joint development of military technology and it regularly engages in joint military exercises with United States and other forces. The relationship has deepened gradually over time, though, as Alan Dowty puts it, it was "not a simple linear process of growing cooperation, but rather a series of tendentious bargaining situations with different strategic and political components in each."
The arms industry of Russia, also known as the defense industry of Russia is a strategically important sector and a large employer in the Russian Federation. It employs approximately 3.5 million people nationwide and accounts for 20% of all manufacturing jobs in Russia.
The defense industry of Israel is a strategically important sector and a large employer, as well as a major supplier of the Israel Defense Forces. The country is one of the world's major exporters of military equipment, accounting for 10% of the world total in 2007. Three Israeli companies were listed on the 2022 Stockholm International Peace Research Institute index of the world's top 100 arms-producing and military service companies: Elbit Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries and RAFAEL. It is also a major player in the global arms market with a 2.3% share of the global exports of major arms as of 2023. Total arms transfer agreements topped $12.9 billion between 2004 and 2011. There are over 150 active defense companies based in the country with combined revenues of more than $3.5 billion annually. Israeli defense equipment exports reached $7 billion in 2012, making it a 20 percent increase from the amount of defense-related exports in 2011. With the war in Ukraine, arms exports reached $12.5 billion in 2022. Much of the exports are sold to the United States and Europe. Other major regions that purchase Israeli defense equipment include Southeast Asia and Latin America. India is also major country for Israeli arms exports and has remained Israel's largest arms market in the world.
The defence industry sector of India is a strategically important sector in India. India has one of the world's largest military forces with a strength of over 1.44 million active personnel. The country has the world's largest volunteer military of over 5.1 million personnel. The total budget sanctioned for the Indian military for the financial year 2021 is ₹4.78 lakh crore. It has the third largest annual defence budget behind USA and China. It is the second largest defence importer behind Saudi Arabia making up 9.2% of global arms import. India has a domestic defence industry of which 60% is government owned. The public sector includes NTRO, CSIR, PRL, DRDO and its 50 labs, 4 defence shipyards, 12 defence PSUs. India has a new defence procurement, acquisition and manufacturing policy to reduce imports and enhance domestic manufacturing.
EDGE Group (Edge) is a United Arab Emirates (UAE) advanced technology and defence conglomerate comprising 25 companies involved in military and civilian products, and technologies.
The defense industry of Ukraine is a strategically important sector and a large employer in Ukraine. Before the start of the War in Donbas, it was mostly used as part of Ukraine’s arms export market. However, it has leaned significantly towards increased Ukrainian military procurement since then.
Following the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel and outbreak of the Israel–Hamas war, the United States began to send warships and military aircraft into the Eastern Mediterranean and began sending Israel more military supplies. The Joe Biden administration stated that Israel would receive "whatever it needs" to support its offensive against the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
The defense industry of South Korea is the main supplier of armaments to the Republic of Korea's Armed Forces. Originally heavily reliant on the United States to supply weapons to its armed forces, South Korea began manufacturing its own weapons through the country's industrialization and military modernization efforts. Today, South Korea enjoys a robust defense industry and is the world's 8th largest weapons exporter.
The 2023 Israel–Hamas war has significant economic implications. The number of Palestinians living in poverty has surged dramatically, with an additional 300,000 people falling into poverty by November 2023. The war caused a severe economic downturn, with employment in the Gaza Strip plummeting by 61% and the West Bank by 24% between October and November 2023. By March 2024, unemployment in the Palestinian Territories had soared to 57%, resulting in 500,000 job losses.
Israel has been accused of committing genocide in the Gaza war and the Biden administration has been accused of complicity in the genocide. The complicity accusation has been made in court, by federal staffers, human rights organizations and academic figures around the world. The US has also been accused of enabling the Gaza Strip famine.
Following the outbreak of the Israel–Hamas war on October 7th, 2023, the United Kingdom has provided Israel with extensive military and diplomatic support. In response to the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak asserted that the United Kingdom "unequivocally" stands with Israel. The UK also issued an "unequivocal condemnation" of Palestinian militant group Hamas and deployed British Armed Forces personnel and assets to the Eastern Mediterranean to support Israel.
Since the beginning of the Israel–Hamas war in 2023, the Israeli military and authorities have been charged with committing war crimes, such as indiscriminate attacks on civilians in densely-populated areas ; genocide; forced evacuations; the torture and executions of civilians; sexual violence; destruction of cultural heritage; collective punishment; and the mistreatment and torture of Palestinian prisoners. Humanitarian organizations such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, B'tselem, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry, the UN Human Rights Council, and human rights groups and experts, including United Nations special rapporteurs, have documented these actions.
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