Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel must work toward arms independence and reduce its dependence on foreign military aid and weapons supplies. He made the remarks during a meeting with a reserve combat officers’ course at Kibbutz Migdal Oz in Gush Etzion.
During the conversation, Netanyahu addressed the security challenges facing Israel, chief among them the confrontation with Iran and the terror organizations it backs. According to him, the campaign against Tehran is not yet over, and Israel’s future in the coming years depends on its ability to continue strengthening its military and technological power.
“We are now facing Iran and its proxies. We have dealt them a blow. It’s not over yet, but it depends on our strength,” Netanyahu said. “Where we’ll be in thirty years depends on our strength. That is why what we’re doing right now is building up our strength.”
The prime minister went on to emphasize the need to expand the defense establishment’s domestic production capabilities. “I want military independence. I greatly appreciate the support we’ve received —and I’ve also shown this over the years—from our American friends. Today I say we need our own independent defense system. We manufacture our own weapons,” he said.
Netanyahu added that alongside developing defense industries, Israel must continue investing in technology and building the IDF’s next generation of commanders. “We must break free from dependence, build more and more strength, incorporate more and more technology, and train more and more generations of commanders like you, because that is what will ultimately determine where we end up,” he told the officers.