JERUSALEM: Israel will reduce its military imports from France “to zero” in retaliation for French policies it deems hostile toward its interests, a defense ministry spokeswoman told AFP on Tuesday.
“The Director General of the Ministry of Defense, Amir Baram, has decided to reduce defense procurement from France to zero, diverting those funds to ‘Blue and White’ (Israeli) procurement or to allied nations,” the spokeswoman said.
According to the French parliament, Paris does not export weapons to Israel, but components to be used in defense systems or to be re-exported to third countries.
Israeli armament procurement from French defense companies totalled around $260 million between 2015 and 2024, according to the most recent French parliamentary report on military exports, which said global sales in 2024 topped $25 billion.
The Israeli spokeswoman added that the decision was in retaliation for several French government steps perceived as hostile to Israel.
