PM: Israel aims to build independent arms production to reduce reliance on US

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he is working on an initiative to develop Israel’s independent munitions production with minimal dependence on the US — Israel’s primary defense partner and arms supplier — in the coming decade.

“I’m currently holding discussions — including a very serious four-hour meeting yesterday — on our armament plans for the coming decade, and there are several components involved,” Netanyahu says in an interview aired this evening with the Abu Ali Express channel on Telegram.

“The most important thing is that we want to strengthen our independent capabilities… the central point is that I want to eliminate, or at least significantly reduce, our dependence on external supplies — even from very good and truly loyal friends like the United States. I want us to be as self-reliant as possible,” the premier continues.

Netanyahu says he wants the IDF’s combat capabilities to continue “surpassing every other actor in the region,” saying this “requires a complex reorganization — significant resources and many decisions.”

“We need to signal to every actor in the region — friendly, less friendly and hostile — that Israel is the strongest country here… That is the policy. It’s called peace through strength,” he says.