(HorizonPost.com) – In a column at Commentary published on Tuesday, writer Seth Mandel suggested that President Biden’s attempts to appease far-left, pro-Hamas voters coupled with the more vocal anti-Israel sentiment coming from congressional Democrats could be prompting Israel to prepare to go it alone rather than leave its future security in the hands of the United States.
Mandel cited a report in the Israeli publication Yediot Ahronot that noted that Israel had been stocking up on American-made rifles while it prepared to begin production on domestic versions of the weapons to lessen its dependence on US-made guns. Additionally, Yediot Ahronot reported that Israel will also be producing bombs for its air forces domestically.
In a post on X, the Times of Israel reporter Lazar Berman commented on the Yediot Arhronot report, noting that the only reason Israel would invest the expense in domestic weapons production was if the IDF was “committed to buying from it for years to come.”
Berman also noted that Israel was “shocked” when the Biden administration opened an investigation into the US subsidies received by the maker of a “key component” of Iron Dome munitions, Finkelstein Metals.
Finkelstein is Israel’s sole producer of bronze, copper, and brass alloy products, according to the Jerusalem Post.
A senior IDF officer told Yediot Ahronot that the change was aimed in part at increasing uniformity among IDF brigades to ensure that all forces are using identical rifles. The officer said the transition would allow for “maintenance flexibility” by providing uniformity in spare parts while saving on “logistical costs.”
Israel hopes to have all of its rifles produced domestically by 2025.
According to Mandel, Israel making plans to shift all self-defense to domestic production would be sensible in light of the uncertainty of US support for its Middle East ally, especially with Democrats in Congress, even some of the so-called “moderates,” demanding specific conditions on extending US aid as a way to appease its more progressive voting base.
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