The Media Line: Netanyahu Sets Out 10-Year, $110 Billion Plan To Cut Reliance on Foreign Weapons  

Netanyahu Sets Out 10-Year, $110 Billion Plan To Cut Reliance on Foreign Weapons  

By The Media Line Staff  

Israel’s government has unveiled a decade-long plan to invest roughly 110 billion dollars in expanding its domestic arms industry, framing the move as a strategic effort to reduce reliance on foreign weapons suppliers during a period of prolonged conflict. The announcement was made on Wednesday at a graduation ceremony for Israeli Air Force pilots at Hatzerim Airbase in southern Israel.  

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel has approved about 350 billion shekels, or around $110 billion, over the next decade to build an independent munitions and broader arms industry. He emphasized that Israel would continue buying “essential supplies” from abroad but wants weapons produced “as much as possible in Israel” to reduce dependence on any outside party, including close allies such as the United States.  

Officials and analysts link the initiative to lessons from two years of high-intensity war on multiple fronts, as well as growing political scrutiny of arms transfers to Israel in parts of the West. Netanyahu and his advisers argue that greater industrial self-sufficiency will help shield Israel from potential future embargoes, speed up wartime resupply, and preserve what they describe as Israel’s qualitative military edge in the region.  

The plan also aligns with earlier signals from Jerusalem that Israel hopes to reduce long-term dependence on US military aid, even as American weapons and funding remain central to its current war effort. Commentaries in regional and international media suggest the drive could significantly expand Israel’s role as an exporter of advanced weaponry, while critics warn that a major boost in arms output could further entrench and intensify the war in Gaza.