Israel halts defense acquisitions from France

Israel is stopping the acquisition of defense-related goods and services from France, the Israeli Defense Ministry said Tuesday.

“The Director General of the Israel Ministry of Defense. Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Baram has decided to reduce all defense procurement from France to zero, replacing it with domestic Israeli procurement or purchases from allied countries,” a Defense Ministry spokesperson said in a statement emailed to The Hill.

In the statement, the spokesperson said, “France has taken a series of actions that have harmed Israel’s security and the operational capabilities of its defense industry.”

“The Israel Ministry of Defense views the French government’s policy with serious concern, as it undermines security cooperation with Israel, a country that is actively operating on the front line against Iran and protecting the security of the Western world,” the ministry added later.

On Tuesday, President Trump went after France for being “very unhelpful” in the conflict against Iran following the European country not allowing planes on their way to Israel to fly over its territory.

“The Country of France wouldn’t let planes headed to Israel, loaded up with military supplies, fly over French territory,” Trump said on Truth Social. “France has been VERY UNHELPFUL with respect to the ‘Butcher of Iran,’ who has been successfully eliminated!”

“The U.S.A. will remember!!!” he wrote.

Earlier this month, French President Emmanuel Macron said his country “will never take part” in operations to open the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blocked amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict against Iran.

“We are not party to the conflict and therefore France ​will never take part in operations to open or liberate the Strait of Hormuz in the current context,” Macron said during a Cabinet meeting, per Reuters.