"I have approved a total of 350 billion shekels (just over 1,000 billion kronor) for the next ten years to build an independent arms industry," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a ceremony at a military base on Wednesday.
" We want to reduce our dependence on other parties, even friends," he adds.
Several Western countries have stopped or limited their arms sales to Israel in the wake of the Gaza war. However, Israel's closest ally, the United States, has continued its deliveries, despite growing criticism even at home regarding the tens of thousands of civilian deaths in Gaza.
