Despite growing criticism from several Western countries regarding Israel’s wars in Gaza, against the terrorist group Hezbollah, and against the Islamic Republic of Iran, Israeli military exports would have reached record levels in 2024, according to data from the Israeli Defense Ministry relayed this week in the press.
Arms sales have reportedly approached $15 billion, including through deals with states that publicly disavow Israel or claim to have reduced ties with Jerusalem.
According to an investigation by the Associated Press (AP), Israeli military sales have more than doubled over the past five years. Overall figures for 2025 are not yet available, but major industry groups such as Elbit Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries both reported double-digit growth last year.
Israel, whose defense industry relies primarily on missiles, rockets and air defense systems, has overtaken the United Kingdom in share of global arms exports to become the world’s seventh-largest exporter, according to a report published in March by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute and cited by the AP.
If some of these clients may be surprising given their sometimes openly critical positions towards Israel, several factors would explain this growing enthusiasm for Israeli military technologies.
In Europe, accelerated rearmament since the Russian invasion of Ukraine is pushing several countries to invest massively in air defense, drones and anti-missile systems. Germany notably concluded with Israel one of the largest military contracts in its recent history with the purchase of the Arrow 3 anti-missile system, developed by Israel Aerospace Industries, for around $3.5 billion.
One of the main selling points of the Israeli industry, however, remains the ” combat-proven » of its technologies, in other words tested in real combat conditions. Some Israeli officials now speak of “systems combat-improved “, improved directly over the course of conflicts.
India also appears to be a key partner. Military relations between New Delhi and Israel have strengthened considerably under the government of Narendra Modi, particularly around air defense systems, drones and surveillance technologies.
According to the AP, several Israeli civilian companies have recently shifted their focus to defense. The Massivit company, previously specialized in 3D printing for cinema and entertainment sets, now produces parts for military drones. Other companies, such as ASIO, specializing in tactical systems assisted by artificial intelligence, have seen orders from the Israeli army jump since the start of the war.
In a report broadcast this week by CNBC, several officials from the Israeli defense sector affirmed that this field experience constitutes one of Israel’s main assets on the world market today.
Dan Senor, author of Start-Up Nationdescribes certain calls for boycott as “largely performative”, believing that many governments remain above all guided by security imperatives. He also describes Israel and Ukraine as “the two laboratories of the future of war”.
The CEO of Israel Aerospace Industries, Boaz Levy, for his part assured that political disagreements with certain European allies had not prevented the continuation of major Israeli military contracts.
This reality, however, fuels strong criticism. NGOs and human rights defenders accuse Israel of transforming recent conflicts, particularly in Gaza, into a technological showcase for its military industry. Israel rejects these accusations and asserts that its systems are developed above all to protect its population in the face of growing regional threats.
