Once upon a time Israel was a huge developer of its own armaments and still modifies American arns materiel for its own use. The Memorandum of Understanding destroyed Israel's ability to develope its own arm industry and left it vulnerable to the protests of the woke world and progressive Democrats. Israel has to resume developing and manufacturing its own arms for whatever use is needed by the IDF as opposed to being dependent on the US or any other country
I had the gift of meeting the late Mrs. Esther Levens whose husband, Avraham, was part of the underground men who gathered old WW2 plane parts from America and sneaked them into Israel where men came together and hammered out their own weaponry. Incredible stories I heard while volunteering for her.
Thank you for writing this brilliant article. I wish there were leaders who had your ability to understand and solve the economic, military and political challenges of Israel and the West. I also wish any of our current leaders had your foresight and your integrity. Unfortunately there is a huge vacuum of leadership in this World. I will continue to pray that great leaders will emerge one day soon.
Love this blog, btw. Some super important info pulled together in one place really clarifying things. I'm wondering two things: 1) how long would it take Israel to start building up its own weapons manufacturing; 2) are there any arms agreements with the U.S. still in effect today and is there a way to gracefully get out of them? I LOVE the idea of the partnership "flourishing on its own merits."
The world will never match or replace American supremacy in the Defence and Digital and Computing spaces. But this is a partnership between the Western Powers, very much including Israel. In this regard the Nations of The West are inter-dependent, that is to say we rely on each other. This keeps The West safe from amongst other things, malign takeovers by malicious Actors in this sphere. America fully recognises and warmly appreciates this fact, as does Israel. Also Israel and the nations of The West fully recognise this fact too: There is NO go-it-alone in the defence and the digital electronic industries.
Israel depends on American technology for some military items, like fighter aircraft, but overall Israel's arms industry has resulted in tremendous independence. In artillery (ATMOS 155mm), rocket launchers (Rafael PULS, IAI Rocks), anti-tank missiles (Spike and Lahat), armored vehicles (Merkava, Namer, Eitan), bomb guidance units (SPICE), air defense (Iron Dome, David's Sling, Arrow 2,3), combat radar (Elta), drones (Hermes, Heron, Steadicopter) and much else, it's all Israeli military technology that forms the core of the IDF.
Even in air-refueling, IAI is the second largest converter of civilian airliners to air tankers, with successful sales of its Boeing 767 air tanker to the Brazilian and Colombian air forces. Unfortunately, it needs Boeing legal permission for every Boeing aircraft it modifies and that is not forthcoming when Boeing itself is bidding directly for the contract, as happens for the Israeli air force tanker contract.
Where the new MOU has hurt is requiring military aid to be spent mostly in the US, so many components in the above systems that will be used by the IDF are manufactured in the US while the same systems are built in Israel to fulfill export orders. There is a lobbying benefit to Israel that many American companies and jobs depend on supplying these Israeli-designed systems
Israel's arms industry has never been more prominent or more successful in the export market than today.
What Israel should avoid is the illusion that it can leverage its way without a strong US alliance. Netanyahu was toying with a trip to China before Oct 7 to show the US that Israel had alternatives; how did that work out?
[That said, I think Naftali Bennet was the most impressive Prime Minister since Ben-Gurion, leaps and bounds more far-sighted than Netanyahu.]
Amazing details, thank you. Be wary of Boeing, part of the deep state conglomerate with octopi reaches into every perverse political war party. Israel must be detangled from Boeing.
These last few comments made me remember that in the past I would think kindly on the Old Testament for many things, except for items like slavery of course, and the Amalekites. Now, for the first time I understand the concept of wiping out the Amalekites. "All things military is spiritual." Love it.
I am Pretty much against 'wiping' anybody out, actually Robin. Eventually the Palestinians of Gaza are going to decide to leave because their Genocidal overlords Hamas lead them into a disastrous war against Israel. We will watch the Anti-Semites in the International community call for the 'Rebuilding of Gaza', but there is no stopping the same War happening again in a few years time. So no-one can guarantee Security and thus Gaza is not going to be rebuilt.
Just to be clear, I don't mean we should wipe out Palestinians -- but Hamas / ISIS / Taliban - the whole radical fundamentalist Islamist view that wants to dominate and destroy the West and replace it with a caliphate. That's wipe-out worthy.
Wars are sometimes necessary. It's how we became a nation, ended slavery and destroyed the nazis. Wars should be fought early on and as a first resort rather than to let problems fester and for our enemies to gain strength over time. Unfortunately, both parties are doing everything they can to avoid wars which has allowed our enemies to be emboldened. Paradoxically the anti-war sentiment in both parties has resulted in us becoming closer to bringing us to war, a very large war. I'm not one of those isolationists on the right condemning defense contractors that produce the weapons that defend us. I'm of the old school Reagan conservatism.
This reminds me of an episode from one of my favorite sci-fi tv shows. To paraphrase the dialogue, U.S. aid is like one the favorite quintessential American drinks; root beer. Upon the first sip, you are struck by the cloying sweetness and not necessarily good taste. Then slowly you find yourself liking it more and more until soon it's your favorite drink and you cannot do without it. Here's a toast to root beer (my favorite is Specher's).
"Had the U.S. not started these two wars, the West could have weathered Iranian aggressions and toppled their Jihadist, genocidal regime": Let me just say, where is the CIA when you need them? Was a time when we excelled at toppling regimes we didn't like, including one in Iran (1953) which took only 4 days. I'm sure it would be more difficult now, but the Iranian population would be supportive. C'mon. We can do it. A few bullets to a few heads; decimation of those oil fields; controlled chaos. Something needs to happen BEFORE they have full-fledged nuclear capabilities.
I just read an article about the Rafael Laser Iron Beam defensive system to be installed around in 2025. After a short while I wonder if Israel will need America’s Iron Dome system or will just rely on its own Iron Beam system? Also how long will it take to develop offensive laser weapons once these have proven themselves?
Great question, Joshua. I keep wondering about deep state globalists in every country, moving the chess pieces around. America is on its last leg of integrity but I romanticized that the corruption had not touched Israel until the mandated horrific ‘vax’ and then, Oct. 7…how did that happen…
U.S. support for Israel is double-edged sword. While it has been crucial, the U.S. uses this aid as a cudgel with which to threaten Israel and manipulate its policies. For this reason, military independence from the U.S. is critical to Israel’s long term survival and success, especially with the risks posed by a Harris presidency.
Once upon a time Israel was a huge developer of its own armaments and still modifies American arns materiel for its own use. The Memorandum of Understanding destroyed Israel's ability to develope its own arm industry and left it vulnerable to the protests of the woke world and progressive Democrats. Israel has to resume developing and manufacturing its own arms for whatever use is needed by the IDF as opposed to being dependent on the US or any other country
I had the gift of meeting the late Mrs. Esther Levens whose husband, Avraham, was part of the underground men who gathered old WW2 plane parts from America and sneaked them into Israel where men came together and hammered out their own weaponry. Incredible stories I heard while volunteering for her.
This is a must.
Thank you for writing this brilliant article. I wish there were leaders who had your ability to understand and solve the economic, military and political challenges of Israel and the West. I also wish any of our current leaders had your foresight and your integrity. Unfortunately there is a huge vacuum of leadership in this World. I will continue to pray that great leaders will emerge one day soon.
Excellent analysis and history. Thanks for all the work it took to post this. 👍
A good article. I learnt a lot. Thank you.
Love this blog, btw. Some super important info pulled together in one place really clarifying things. I'm wondering two things: 1) how long would it take Israel to start building up its own weapons manufacturing; 2) are there any arms agreements with the U.S. still in effect today and is there a way to gracefully get out of them? I LOVE the idea of the partnership "flourishing on its own merits."
The world will never match or replace American supremacy in the Defence and Digital and Computing spaces. But this is a partnership between the Western Powers, very much including Israel. In this regard the Nations of The West are inter-dependent, that is to say we rely on each other. This keeps The West safe from amongst other things, malign takeovers by malicious Actors in this sphere. America fully recognises and warmly appreciates this fact, as does Israel. Also Israel and the nations of The West fully recognise this fact too: There is NO go-it-alone in the defence and the digital electronic industries.
US foreign policy has been very much a geopolitical hand of gin rummy. Let’s hope for the West it doesn’t become the losing hand.
Israel depends on American technology for some military items, like fighter aircraft, but overall Israel's arms industry has resulted in tremendous independence. In artillery (ATMOS 155mm), rocket launchers (Rafael PULS, IAI Rocks), anti-tank missiles (Spike and Lahat), armored vehicles (Merkava, Namer, Eitan), bomb guidance units (SPICE), air defense (Iron Dome, David's Sling, Arrow 2,3), combat radar (Elta), drones (Hermes, Heron, Steadicopter) and much else, it's all Israeli military technology that forms the core of the IDF.
Even in air-refueling, IAI is the second largest converter of civilian airliners to air tankers, with successful sales of its Boeing 767 air tanker to the Brazilian and Colombian air forces. Unfortunately, it needs Boeing legal permission for every Boeing aircraft it modifies and that is not forthcoming when Boeing itself is bidding directly for the contract, as happens for the Israeli air force tanker contract.
Where the new MOU has hurt is requiring military aid to be spent mostly in the US, so many components in the above systems that will be used by the IDF are manufactured in the US while the same systems are built in Israel to fulfill export orders. There is a lobbying benefit to Israel that many American companies and jobs depend on supplying these Israeli-designed systems
Israel's arms industry has never been more prominent or more successful in the export market than today.
What Israel should avoid is the illusion that it can leverage its way without a strong US alliance. Netanyahu was toying with a trip to China before Oct 7 to show the US that Israel had alternatives; how did that work out?
[That said, I think Naftali Bennet was the most impressive Prime Minister since Ben-Gurion, leaps and bounds more far-sighted than Netanyahu.]
Amazing details, thank you. Be wary of Boeing, part of the deep state conglomerate with octopi reaches into every perverse political war party. Israel must be detangled from Boeing.
Thanks! All it takes is a lifelong fascination with military topics...
https://www.rafael.co.il/system/rocks/
https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a43520043/how-israel-puls-rocket-system-compares-to-himars/
https://www.armyrecognition.com/news/army-news/2024/brazil-selects-israeli-company-elbit-systems-atmos-155mm-self-propelled-howitzer
https://www.defensenews.com/land/2023/04/10/greece-buys-rafaels-anti-tank-spike-missiles-from-israel/
https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2024/2/21/elbit-unveils-new-multi-mission-aerial-drone
Many more articles. Great site to keep up to date:
https://www.israeldefense.co.il/en/
Growing up with dad’s wonderment of the Zionist miracle…all things military is spiritual. The great biblical battles still being written.
These last few comments made me remember that in the past I would think kindly on the Old Testament for many things, except for items like slavery of course, and the Amalekites. Now, for the first time I understand the concept of wiping out the Amalekites. "All things military is spiritual." Love it.
I am Pretty much against 'wiping' anybody out, actually Robin. Eventually the Palestinians of Gaza are going to decide to leave because their Genocidal overlords Hamas lead them into a disastrous war against Israel. We will watch the Anti-Semites in the International community call for the 'Rebuilding of Gaza', but there is no stopping the same War happening again in a few years time. So no-one can guarantee Security and thus Gaza is not going to be rebuilt.
Just to be clear, I don't mean we should wipe out Palestinians -- but Hamas / ISIS / Taliban - the whole radical fundamentalist Islamist view that wants to dominate and destroy the West and replace it with a caliphate. That's wipe-out worthy.
Wars are sometimes necessary. It's how we became a nation, ended slavery and destroyed the nazis. Wars should be fought early on and as a first resort rather than to let problems fester and for our enemies to gain strength over time. Unfortunately, both parties are doing everything they can to avoid wars which has allowed our enemies to be emboldened. Paradoxically the anti-war sentiment in both parties has resulted in us becoming closer to bringing us to war, a very large war. I'm not one of those isolationists on the right condemning defense contractors that produce the weapons that defend us. I'm of the old school Reagan conservatism.
This reminds me of an episode from one of my favorite sci-fi tv shows. To paraphrase the dialogue, U.S. aid is like one the favorite quintessential American drinks; root beer. Upon the first sip, you are struck by the cloying sweetness and not necessarily good taste. Then slowly you find yourself liking it more and more until soon it's your favorite drink and you cannot do without it. Here's a toast to root beer (my favorite is Specher's).
This is a fascinating and important analysis. Well said.
"Had the U.S. not started these two wars, the West could have weathered Iranian aggressions and toppled their Jihadist, genocidal regime": Let me just say, where is the CIA when you need them? Was a time when we excelled at toppling regimes we didn't like, including one in Iran (1953) which took only 4 days. I'm sure it would be more difficult now, but the Iranian population would be supportive. C'mon. We can do it. A few bullets to a few heads; decimation of those oil fields; controlled chaos. Something needs to happen BEFORE they have full-fledged nuclear capabilities.
An in-depth though provoking article.
Respect to the author 🙏🙏
I just read an article about the Rafael Laser Iron Beam defensive system to be installed around in 2025. After a short while I wonder if Israel will need America’s Iron Dome system or will just rely on its own Iron Beam system? Also how long will it take to develop offensive laser weapons once these have proven themselves?
Great question, Joshua. I keep wondering about deep state globalists in every country, moving the chess pieces around. America is on its last leg of integrity but I romanticized that the corruption had not touched Israel until the mandated horrific ‘vax’ and then, Oct. 7…how did that happen…
Your last paragraph paralleling
U.S. support for Israel is double-edged sword. While it has been crucial, the U.S. uses this aid as a cudgel with which to threaten Israel and manipulate its policies. For this reason, military independence from the U.S. is critical to Israel’s long term survival and success, especially with the risks posed by a Harris presidency.