Israel’s arms sales jump to all-time high of $12.5 billion in 2022

By Zein Khalil

JERUSALEM (AA) – Israel’s arms sales hit all-time high of $12.5 billion in 2022, according to the country’s defense ministry on Wednesday.
A ministry statement said that the arms sales have more than doubled since 2014, and jumped by 50% in the past three years.
The ministry said the Russian war on Ukraine has increased the demand for the Israeli-made weapons in Europe.
There was a significant demand for Israeli weapons by Arab countries that signed normalization deals with Israel in 2020, the statement said.
Four Arab countries – the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco – signed US-sponsored agreements to normalize relations with Israel in 2020.
According to the ministry, the Israeli arms exports to the Arab nations within the normalization deals have reached $3 billion.
The statement classified the Israeli arms exports as 25% for drone systems, 19% for missiles and air defense systems, 13% for radar systems and electronic warfare systems, and 6% for cyber-intelligence systems.
The other sales included manned aircraft, avionics, observation systems, weapons launchers, communication systems, vehicles, maritime systems, ammunition and other services.
*Writing by Ahmed Asmar