Israel’s Defense Industry Policy: Security-Centered Transformation, Unregulated Armament and Ethics of Accountability

Abstract

This article examines the evolution of Israel’s defense industry policy through the lenses of security-centered transformation, unregulated armament, and accountability. It situates the defense industry not merely as an economic or industrial sector, but as a politically and normatively charged security domain shaped by shifting threat perceptions, strategic alliances, and international constraints. First, the security-oriented transformation of the defense industry is analyzed within its historical context, with particular focus on Israel’s strategy to enhance its defense production capacity in line with national security concerns. Second, the article explores how defense and security agreements have functioned as instruments to expand Israel’s international engagement and influence in countries where diplomatic relations are either limited or unstable. By examining selected cases, this section highlights the role of defense cooperation as a flexible mechanism for bypassing diplomatic constraints and advancing geopolitical interests. Third, the article examines the dimension of unregulated armament by focusing on legal inertia, regulatory loopholes, and the selective enforcement of existing export control mechanisms. It analyzes how security-centered narratives and exceptional threat perceptions can delay, weaken, or circumvent the development and implementation of robust legal frameworks governing arms exports. In this context, ethical considerations are often subordinated to strategic imperatives, resulting in ambiguous standards of responsibility and oversight. Finally, the article investigates concrete cases of arms transfers to controversial or conflict-affected actors in order to illustrate the persistent tensions between narrowly defined national interests and broader international legal and normative obligations.