Under the banners of “Make in India” and defense indigenization, New Delhi aggressively expanded domestic arms manufacturing—often through joint ventures with Israeli firms themselves.
As Israel’s war on Gaza triggered unprecedented international outrage, a quieter but no less consequential shift took place in the global arms economy. European states that had long supplied Israel with weapons, components, and logistical support began facing legal challenges, parliamentary pressure, labor resistance, and reputational costs.
Exports slowed, licenses were reviewed, and in some cases, shipments were suspended altogether. Into this narrowing space stepped India—methodically, discreetly, and without moral hesitation. In doing so, New Delhi emerged as a substitute supplier at precisely the moment Israel needed dependable partners most.
This transformation was neither sudden nor accidental. It was the outcome of Europe’s legal constraints colliding with India’s strategic ambitions, ideological alignment, and the deliberate construction of a defence manufacturing ecosystem designed to operate beyond human rights scrutiny.
By late 2023, the scale of civilian deaths and infrastructural devastation in Gaza made continued arms exports politically and legally toxic for European governments. Courts in the Netherlands ordered a halt to the transfer of F-35 fighter jet components to Israel, citing the risk of violations of international humanitarian law.
Spain suspended arms shipments. In Belgium and Italy, dockworkers refused to load military cargo bound for Israel. Ireland and other EU states saw growing parliamentary dissent, while Germany—Israel’s strongest European ally—faced legal petitions and rising domestic opposition.
Europe’s dilemma was structural. EU export control rules explicitly prohibit arms transfers where there is a clear risk that weapons may be used to commit war crimes or crimes against humanity. Gaza made that risk impossible to deny. Even governments politically inclined to support Israel found themselves constrained by courts, unions, civil society, and legal frameworks that—however imperfectly – still functioned.
Israel, accustomed to uninterrupted European supply chains, suddenly faced uncertainty. (more...)
How India Replaced Europe as Israel’s Reliable Arms Supplier
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