Israel's defense ministry is dramatically accelerating approvals for weapons exports, with air-defense systems now flowing to two dozen countries as regulatory oversight has effectively collapsed, according to newly released government data.
The Defense Export Control Agency granted Israeli companies air defense export licenses for 20 countries in 2025, more than double the seven countries approved two years ago and nearly triple the 12 approved three years ago. The surge extends far beyond the United Arab Emirates—a key buyer of Israeli Iron Dome, Iron Beam, and Spectro drone detection systems—to include Morocco, Azerbaijan, Slovakia, Cyprus, and Germany, which recently expanded its massive deal for the long-range Arrow system.
Yet the most alarming finding from the data, obtained through a freedom of information request by human rights lawyer Eitay Mack, reveals the near-complete absence of meaningful scrutiny. Of 6,648 applications for defense export licenses submitted to the ministry, only 19 were denied. That approval rate of over 99 percent suggests the committee responsible for vetting weapons sales functions as "a rubber stamp," according to Hiddai Negev, executive director of the Movement for Freedom of Information.
The Erosion of Democratic Oversight
The loosening of export controls reflects an explicit policy shift under Defense Ministry director general Amir Baram, formalized in recommendations submitted at the end of last year. Evidence of this relaxation appears in the sharp decline in canceled licenses: only 99 export approvals were revoked in 2025, compared with 174 two years ago.
This deregulation occurs despite global scrutiny of Israeli defense practices. The stagnation in export licenses for drones, training, ammunition, intelligence, and cyber capabilities—which saw only a 6 percent rise in marketing permits—suggests international concerns about broader Israeli military activities may be constraining those sectors. Air defense systems, by contrast, face less reputational resistance, having earned a public relations boost from their role defending Israeli civilians during the conflict with Iran.
Negev emphasized the lack of transparency: "The committee that approves defense exports of advanced technologies and weapons from Israel operates in the dark and doesn't publish a public report."
Economic Priorities Over Defense Needs
The expansion of air-defense exports raises fundamental questions about the stated rationale for massive defense spending. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for an additional 350 billion shekels—approximately $120 billion—in Israeli arms production over the coming decade, framing it as essential to Israel's security independence.
But the data tells a different story. According to Mack, "Netanyahu declares that Israel has to invest hundreds of billions of shekels so it can cater to its defense needs. In practice, the trend in the data is that for economic and political reasons, the bulk of Israeli defense production is directed toward exports."
About 70 percent of Israel's defense production is already exported. The monetary value of exports from Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries—the sector's two main players—jumped 25 percent last year. Israel's total defense exports are projected to reach $18 billion for 2025, a 20 percent increase from the previous year.
Mack warned of a structural risk: "We could find ourselves in a situation similar to that of the Americans, where we have full arms independence but face shortages due to massive arms exports." He added that sales abroad "stem from the economic needs of the companies making the systems and from the fact that Israel's diplomatic relations depend on it."
Why This Matters:
The acceleration of weapons exports without meaningful oversight raises serious questions about democratic accountability and the alignment of stated security priorities with actual policy. When a regulatory body approves over 99 percent of applications with minimal public disclosure, the legitimacy of the process itself comes into question. The data suggests that commercial and diplomatic interests—not security imperatives—are driving Israeli defense exports to an expanding list of countries. For citizens and policymakers concerned with transparency, this represents a significant erosion of the democratic controls that should govern weapons sales. Additionally, the projection that Israel's defense sector will prioritize exports over domestic supply raises long-term sustainability questions about the country's actual defense capacity.