Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called on the country’s defense industry to boost local production of weapons amid growing international calls to stop arming Jerusalem.
Speaking during a recent meeting with Bank of Israel Governor Amir Yaron, Netanyahu said Israeli defense firms must adapt to the increasing needs of the war against Hamas militants.
He also urged them to be less reliant on foreign components to reduce the nation’s vulnerability to what he called “external pressures.”
“We need to be much more independent in the production capacity of the weapons we need,” he stressed, adding that this will allow Jerusalem to make decisions on its own.
Israel relied heavily on the US and Germany for its military weapons and equipment in 2023, according to data released by a Swedish think tank.
‘Stop Arming Israel’
Netanyahu’s remarks came after several UN experts recommended a halt in arms exports to the Middle Eastern nation.
They said any transfer of weapons or ammunition to Israel for use in Gaza is likely to violate international humanitarian law.
“Such transfers are prohibited even if the exporting state does not intend the arms to be used in violation of the law – or does not know with certainty that they would be used in such a way – as long as there is a clear risk,” they explained.
Since the war broke out in October 2023, more than 32,000 Palestinians have reportedly been killed, most of them women and children.
Rights groups have slammed the Israeli government for its alleged lack of action to protect civilians, while Washington has also called on Jerusalem to scale down its offensive due to the number of civilian casualties.
Last month, Canada publicly announced it is halting weapons exports to Israel, with a spokesperson saying the “situation on the ground makes it so that we can’t export any kind of military equipment.”