ISTANBUL
Israel’s recently announced plans to stop purchasing French military equipment are viewed as more like a symbolic move, as France is not a major supplier to Tel Aviv, according to online investigative newspaper Mediapart.
The Israeli Defense Ministry announced at the end of March that it would cease to import defense equipment from France, implying that Paris was no longer considered one of the country's allies, according to French media reports.
However, Mediapart, in its report published on Wednesday, argued that this move is “mostly symbolic,” stressing that the country is not a key supplier to Israel.
The report said in 2024, France delivered €16.1 million (about $17.4 million) worth of military equipment to Israel.
It added that while new orders for Israel amounted to €27.1 million ($29.3 million), they reached €1.25 billion for Iraq, €718 million for the United Arab Emirates, and €170 million for Saudi Arabia.
The Israeli announcement comes after US aircraft transited through France following the outbreak of the war in Iran.
The French General Staff said in early March that planes were accepted at the airbase in Istres only after guarantees that they “would in no way participate in operations conducted by the United States in Iran.”
Military observers cited by Mediapart noted that even logistical support aircraft indirectly contribute to operations, although they do not carry out direct strikes.