Israel on Tuesday took the drastic step of announcing that it will halt the acquisition of defense-related goods and services from France, according to an Israeli Defense Ministry announcement.
"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 confirmed.
The move is being done in direct rebuke to France's decision to not allow flights in its airspace which transport military items to Israel, or also American military flights which are directly connected to Iran war operations. A growing number of NATO and EU countries are doing this, also Italy, Spain, and Switzerland.
The Israeli statement said further, "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," it added.
Defense ties between France and Israel were already strained going back to the Gaza war:
According to a parliamentary report, France authorized more than 200 dual-use export licences to Israel in 2024 worth €76.5 million — 60 percent less than in 2023 — highlighting how limited and declining defense ties between the two countries already are.
Existing contracts are expected to be honored and private companies may still pursue deals.
Earlier in the day Tuesday, President Trump took France to task for being "very unhelpful" in Iran operations.
"The Country of France wouldn’t let planes headed to Israel, loaded up with military supplies, fly over French territory," Trump stated on Truth Social. "France has been VERY UNHELPFUL with respect to the ‘Butcher of Iran,’ who has been successfully eliminated!"
The American president then emphasized, "The U.S.A. will remember!!!" France's Macron has pledged his forces will "never take part in operations to open or liberate the Strait of Hormuz in the current context." Other EU leaders have said that essentially this is "not our war".
These same European leaders have long criticized Israel for the immense civilian death toll after two years of war in Gaza. It stands at over 70,000 killed - a figure which Israel has actually acknowledged, with the caveat that at least some one-third of these casualties were Hamas militants. Some estimates say the death toll could be higher.
