Reference News Network, December 25 report: According to AFP, December 24 report, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on the 24th that Israel will invest 110 billion US dollars in its own armaments industry over the next decade.

Due to the long-term defense cooperation agreement between Israel and the United States, a large part of the military equipment used by the Israeli military comes from the United States.

Two years of multi-front warfare have put Israel's military resources under pressure. Some countries have stopped arms sales to Israel, citing too many deaths in the Gaza Strip, or have restricted arms sales at different stages of the war.

Netanyahu spoke at a military ceremony at an airbase in southern Israel, saying, "I have approved a total investment of 350 billion new shekels (about 110 billion US dollars) over the next ten years to establish an independent arms industry for the State of Israel."

Netanyahu said, "We want to reduce our dependence on any party, even if it is on a friend. The top talents in our defense industry are working full-time to develop weapon systems to ensure Israel's advantage on future battlefields."

Data from the U.S. Congress shows that the United States provided Israel with 3.3 billion U.S. dollars in military aid and 500 million U.S. dollars in missile defense cooperation funds in 2025. However, the Israeli leadership has already expressed a desire to move away from foreign suppliers.

In his speech on the 24th, Netanyahu stated that developing an independent arms industry would enhance national security.

He said, "We have established a regional power status - in some areas, even a global power. This brings many other countries closer to us. Peace is achieved with strong powers, not with weak ones."

Data released by Israel show that in 2026, Israel will allocate about 16% of its public budget to defense - about 35 billion U.S. dollars from a total budget of 208 billion U.S. dollars.

Before the war broke out in the Gaza Strip, Israel's defense budget was about 20.4 billion U.S. dollars. (Translated by Liu Ziyuan)

Original: toutiao.com/article/7587689514827792936/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.