Israel Halts New Defense Procurement from France

The Defense Ministry has decided to completely halt defense procurement from France. The decision was made recently at the initiative of the ministry’s director general, Maj. Gen. (res.) Amir Baram, and under the direction of Defense Minister Israel Katz.

According to Israeli officials, procurement from France has been halted across the board, except for existing contracts that will continue. At the same time, the Defense Ministry is redirecting contracts to local industries and to suppliers in countries defined as friendly, as part of a broader policy intended to strengthen Israel’s defense self-reliance.

The move comes against the backdrop of ongoing tensions between Jerusalem and Paris since the start of the war. France has taken a series of steps that Jerusalem views as hostile, foremost among them decisions to restrict Israeli participation in major security events on its soil. Among other measures, Israeli representatives were barred from the \"Eurosatory\" and \"Euronaval\" exhibitions—among the world’s most important in the defense and maritime fields. In addition, France supported international initiatives, including a call at the UN General Assembly to impose an arms embargo on Israel.

Israeli officials emphasized that \"In the past two years, France has pursued a hostile line toward Israel, 'which does not allow us to rely on it regarding defense exports'.\"

The Defense Ministry clarified that one of the key lessons from the months of fighting is the need to reduce external dependence and increase local production capabilities. Accordingly, the ministry is promoting an expansion of Israel’s defense production base, strengthening local industries and deepening cooperation with friendly countries.