Israel must spend more on defense – and rethink its US alliance – opinion

Israel faces a significant increase in its defense budget, with the Knesset set to vote on expanding urgent IDF weapons procurement from NIS 70 billion to NIS 90 billion, pushing the annual defense budget to NIS 184 billion. This surge, driven by ongoing conflicts with Iran and its proxies, necessitates budget cuts in other ministries and new taxes. The article attributes Israel's current military challenges to two decades of military downsizing and misguided defense policies, particularly under former IDF chiefs of staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz and Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eisenkot, who prioritized air and cyber capabilities over ground forces. This led to an IDF unprepared for sustained warfare, costing approximately NIS 400 billion in direct military expenses since late 2023.

• Israel is investing heavily in an independent defense-industrial base, with a plan to invest NIS 400 billion over the next decade.
• Key initiatives include expanding production of heavy aerial munitions, establishing a national raw materials plant, and increasing output of Iron Dome and Arrow interceptors.
• The navy is advancing a
  Automatically generated summary based on the original article; quotes are from the source.