US, Germany Supplied 99% of Israel Weapons Import Despite Pressure: Data
A new study has found that the US and Germany supplied almost all of the weapons and equipment delivered to Israel in 2023.
According to data released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), 69 percent of Jerusalem’s arms imports came from American manufacturers, while 30 percent were purchased from Berlin.
Italy, the third top importer for the Middle Eastern nation, supplied only 0.9 percent of the total arms purchases.
The Swedish research institute said all of the Israeli Air Force’s current aircraft are US-made, except for one helicopter built in France.
“At the end of 2023, the US rapidly delivered thousands of guided bombs and missiles to Israel,” the SIPRI report noted, adding that 61 combat aircraft from the US and four submarines from Germany are pending delivery.
SIPRI claimed that the weapons Israel imported from its allies have played a major role in its military actions against Hamas and Hezbollah.
Global Pressure
The data was released amid international calls to stop arming Israel, which has been carrying out relentless ground and aerial attacks on Gaza.
Since the war broke out between Hamas militants and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in October last year, more than 32,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed.
Canada recently ordered a halt in arms exports to Jerusalem as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau weighed in on Israel’s right to defend itself and the alleged lack of action to protect civilian lives.
Eight American senators have also sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to stop supplying weapons to the country’s Middle Eastern ally.
They said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s actions against humanitarian operations have prevented Washington from safely and easily delivering aid to Gaza.
Media reports have claimed that the relationship between the two leaders has been strained following Biden’s call to scale down the Israeli offensive in the Palestinian territory.
