Members of Israeli security forces in the Kafr Aqab neighborhood, nearly six kilometers south of Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, on April 5, 2026. ZAIN JAAFAR/AFP
The announcement on Tuesday, March 31, by a spokesperson of Israel's Ministry of Defense, that Israel had decided to "reduce all defense procurement from France to zero" in favor of purchases from "allied countries," raises questions about the role of dozens of French companies identified as suppliers of military equipment to Israel in a report released on Tuesday, April 7, by Urgence Palestine and Palestinian Youth Movement. The 66-page document, seen by Le Monde and titled "Exposing French Military Shipments to Israel," is based on open-source research. The report does not claim to be exhaustive, but aims to be as thorough and precise as possible. It highlights a regular and diverse flow of equipment that, on its own, does not constitute ready-to-use weaponry but provides Israel's defense industry with essential components. Urgence Palestine and Palestinian Youth Movement are Palestinian youth organizations based in France and the United States, respectively.
According to the report, there were "525 military-related shipments from French manufacturers to Israeli weapons manufacturers between October 2023 [and] March 27, 2026." The main French exporters it identifies are Sermat, ADR, Effbe France, Eurolinks, Savimex, Safran, Thales, Cimulec, Amphenol Air LB, Radiall, Aubert & Duval, Vishay MCB and Hutchinson. On the Israeli side, Elbit Systems, the country's leading weapons manufacturer, accounted for virtually all purchases, though the authors were unable to determine the quantities or value.
