This story originally appeared in the JC Israel Briefing. You can sign up to receive the briefing daily here.
Over the past two decades, Israel has lost critical domestic weapons-production capabilities, according to a damning state comptroller report published yesterday.
The report, cited by Israel’s public broadcaster Kan, found that Israel had become dependent on foreign suppliers for raw materials used in manufacturing munitions and other military equipment, creating vulnerabilities during wartime and supply disruptions.
The comptroller warned that rebuilding those lost industrial capabilities would require “significant financial investment and a long period of time”.
According to the report, successive governments failed to maintain strategic manufacturing independence despite repeated warnings from defence officials over the risks posed by reliance on overseas imports.
The findings come as Israel continues fighting on multiple fronts since October 7, placing unprecedented strain on ammunition stockpiles and defence production lines.
The report also criticised a lack of long-term planning and poor coordination between government ministries and the defence establishment, saying key production infrastructure had been allowed to disappear without viable alternatives being developed.
Officials warned that restoring independent production would not be possible quickly, particularly given the complexity of rebuilding industrial plants, supply chains and technical expertise lost over years of outsourcing and budget cuts.
It comes just a day after PM Benjamin Netanyahu told 60 Minutes that he was planning to wind down US military aid, while the IDF’s chief of staff warns of huge manpower shortages amid the country's multi-front war.
This story originally appeared in the JC Israel Briefing. You can sign up to receive the briefing daily here.
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