The owner of an Israeli company specializing in the import of military equipment said Thursday that there is indeed a halt in the supply of military equipment from the U.S. to Israel.
"Even if the policy isn't official, the U.S. Department of Defense has been delaying export licenses for military equipment to Israel for months, including licenses for dual-use equipment intended for both civilian and military application," according to the Israeli owner.
"As a private company importing military equipment for various IDF units and the police, I have encountered this issue. The Americans claim there is no policy of delaying shipments, but this is the reality," he added.
"I have licenses that have been delayed for six months, some not even for the IDF but for the police. All eyes are now on Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, hoping that during his visit to the U.S., he will resolve the issue, as it is expanding beyond just the U.S. For example, we wanted to buy ceramic vests from a British manufacturer, but they stalled for a long time and did not supply them. Even the Chinese, with whom I have long-standing relationships, refused. From my experience in the field, Europe is also becoming increasingly closed off to us. In a recent instance in an Eastern European country, ministerial intervention was required to release a shipment."
This comes in the wake of a Wall Street Journal report in which Biden administration officials again denied that the White House is blocking arms shipments to Israel. The administration responded to public claims by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, laid out in a video he released, alleging that the Americans are delaying arms shipments to Israel.