Israeli defense firms lament a chill from erstwhile client Philippines
The source of the bilateral freeze is murky, with some executives here blaming the Israeli government's unwillingness to back Filipino sovereignty claims in the South China Sea.
The Israeli Ministry of Defense's mandate of prioritizing equipment deliveries to Israeli forces amid the Gaza war – at the expense of international customers – also is to blame, industry officials have said.
'The competitors are already aware and have begun to act on it,' one executive told Defense News, speaking on condition of anonymity while discussing the sensitive matter.
Israeli companies were most recently observing the Manila chill during the DSEI Japan defense exhibition, which ran from May 21 to May 23, according to an Israeli industry insider who said Filipino representatives appeared interested in Japanese products instead.
The Philippines is the third-largest defense buyer from Israel, accounting for about 8.1% of total exports after the United States (13%) and India (34%). That is according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) report from last March.
Defense purchases from Israel intensified during the period of Rodrigo Duterte as president of the Philippines. In his visit to Israel in September 2018 he said during a speech at a joint event with then-Israeli President Reuven Rivlin: 'I instructed my military personnel that in the field of military equipment and weapons, there is only one country to buy from, and that is Israel.'
Among the Israeli defense systems purchased by the Philippines are the Spyder air defense systems from Rafael, Sabrah 2 light tanks from Elbit, Shaldag boats from Israel Shipyards, and Hermes-type drones.
Israeli defense companies declined to comment on the record. The Israeli Foreign Ministry wrote in a statement that 'the issue is known and is in discussion with security officials and defense industries.'
A ministry spokesperson denied that Israel's position on South China Sea claims is at the center of any disagreements.
The Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv did not return a request for comment by press time.
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Chicago Tribune
12 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
Daniel DePetris: Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu don't have the same goals
When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump met at the White House in early July for the third time this year, the two men were all smiles. Trump heaped praise on the Israeli premier (and himself) for a job well done on Iran, insisting yet again that the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes against Tehran's nuclear facilities left its program 'obliterated.' Netanyahu thanked Washington for its extensive support and gifted him a letter that nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. But things have changed in the three weeks since. And while the relationship between Trump and Netanyahu isn't at a breaking point, the two appear to hold aspirations for the Middle East that are increasingly hard to square with each other. The 21-month war in Gaza is, of course, the most dominant issue affecting the partnership. Trump ostensibly wants to get it solved. He's tired of the killing and the bad press, has been pining about brokering an agreement between Israel and Hamas even before he won the election in November and increasingly sees the conflict as a morass. 'A lot of hate, long-term hate,' Trump told reporters during his confab with Netanyahu on July 7, 'but we think we're going to have it solved pretty soon, hopefully with a real solution, a solution that's going to be holding up.' Yet in the weeks since Trump made those comments, the possibility of a ceasefire and hostage release deal has moved only a few inches toward the finish line. The three big issues preventing Israel and Hamas from signing a deal — whether a 60-day truce will lead to a permanent end to the war, how extensive the Israeli military withdrawal in Gaza will be during that pause and how humanitarian aid will be distributed to Palestinians — remain unsolved. While the Israelis have reportedly agreed to move troops farther away from key corridors, some question if Israeli diplomats shuttling to Qatar and Egypt for talks actually have the mandate to negotiate. Netanyahu is highly protective of the process and beholden to ultranationalists in his cabinet who equate any deal with Hamas with shameful surrender, and he has trumpeted Hamas' defeat so many times that any walk-back from this position will have political repercussions for him. The Israel Defense Forces are also in the process of expanding their ground offensive in Gaza to Deir al-Balah, a city Israeli troops haven't entered because some of the 20 Israeli hostages still alive are thought be located there. An Israeli incursion into Deir al-Balah could either increase the pressure on Hamas to make a deal on Israel's terms or push the group further away from the process. 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During his trip to Saudi Arabia in the spring, Trump met al-Sharaa, shook his hand and marveled afterward that the 40-something was a tough, impressive guy with the opportunity to bring his country out of the wilderness. In a big sign of good faith, Trump ordered the removal and suspension of U.S. sanctions on Syria. So the White House wasn't pleased when Israeli aircraft started dropping bombs on Syrian troops who were dispatched to the southern Syrian province of Sweida to quell the fighting between the Druze and Bedouins. Israel assessed al-Sharaa's army was actually targeting the Druze population; Washington, however, hasn't bought into this claim and argues the Syrian government is doing the best it can under a difficult situation. One White House official blasted Netanyahu for acting like 'a madman' whose default tool to solve a problem is dropping bombs. Meanwhile, the State Department stressed that Washington didn't support Israel's military intervention in southern Syria. These two perspectives are destined for a clash. Whether Trump stands up for his own policy or defers to Netanyahu's supposed judgment will determine if he's the visionary he frequently wants to be or is merely a supplicant. Daniel DePetris is a fellow at Defense Priorities and a foreign affairs columnist for the Chicago Tribune.
Time Magazine
13 minutes ago
- Time Magazine
How Long Can Israel Keep Frustrating the U.S.?
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The Syrian government has rejected that claim and repeatedly condemned Israeli military action towards Syria, including in recent months the seizure of Syrian territory and multiple airstrikes. The Trump Administration brokered a cease-fire between Israel and Syria, U.S. envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said on Friday, but some within the Administration have grown restive over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recalcitrance, Axios reported on Sunday. 'Bibi acted like a madman. He bombs everything all the time,' one official told the outlet. 'This could undermine what Trump is trying to do.' Trump was 'caught off guard by the bombing in Syria and also the bombing of the Catholic Church in Gaza,' White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Monday, although she added that Trump 'enjoys a good working relationship with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and stays in frequent communication with him.' 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Netanyahu likely took Trump's 'vague response to any military action as a 'go-ahead,'' Chay says. 'The U.S. President is well-known for vacillating in his positions towards various foreign policy issues, but the Israeli Prime Minister is now—following U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear [facilities]—confident in his own ability of being the 'Trump whisperer.'' 'Trump is continuing the failed policies of his predecessors by ceding the initiative to Israel,' Jon Hoffman, a foreign policy analyst at the Cato Institute, posted on X. Even so, Israel depends critically on U.S. support: 'It is not surprising that Israel signs a cease-fire when the United States applies real pressure, because they could not pursue any conflict, in Iran or in Gaza, without the continual supply of weapons, ammunition, and military tech from the United States,' William Figueroa, an assistant professor of international relations at the University of Groningen, previously told TIME. 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The President doesn't like turning on the television and seeing bombs dropped in a country he is seeking peace in and made a monumental announcement to help rebuild,' one official told Axios. Another official suggested that the Israeli government was harming its reputation among the Trump Administration. 'The Israelis need to get their head out of their asses,' the official told Axios. Meanwhile, an Israeli official told Axios that Trump had not indicated concerns about Israeli intervention in Syria and had even supported Israeli action in Syria during his first few weeks in office. Bombing of Catholic church in Gaza Israel also came under fire after striking on Thursday the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, killing three people and wounding others who were sheltering there. The news shook the Catholic community around the world. Before his death, Pope Francis had held daily calls with the parish—Gaza's only Catholic church. Francis' successor, Pope Leo XIV posted on X that he was 'deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and injury' and reiterated the need for an immediate cease-fire. The news also angered the Trump Administration. Leavitt said Thursday that Trump did not have a 'positive reaction' to the attack and that he 'called Prime Minister Netanyahu this morning to address the strikes on that church in Gaza.' Netanyahu said in a Thursday statement that Israel 'deeply regrets that a stray ammunition' hit the church, calling it a mistake. He said Israel was 'investigating the incident and remains committed to protecting civilians and holy sites.' The Israel Defense Forces said in a later statement that 'an initial inquiry into reports regarding injured individuals in the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, suggests that fragments from a shell fired during operational activity in the area hit the church mistakenly. The cause of the incident is under review.' Israel's military added, 'The IDF directs its strikes solely at military targets and makes every feasible effort to mitigate harm to civilians and religious structures, and regrets any unintentional damage caused to them.' Gazans, journalists and humanitarian organizations have recorded numerous Israeli attacks on civilian, religious, and aid sites over the course of the two-year war. Murder of Palestinian American by Israeli settlers The July 11 murder of Palestinian American Saif Musallet by a mob of Israeli settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank has also incited backlash from the U.S. government. Musallet's family told CBS News that he had been visiting his family's land in the town of Sinjil when he was surrounded and beaten by settlers for over three hours. The settlers blocked an ambulance and paramedics from reaching him, his family said. Musallet's brother eventually carried him to an ambulance, but he died before reaching the hospital. In a rare albeit tempered criticism of Israel, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who is known to be an outspoken ally of Israeli settlers, called the attack a 'criminal and terrorist act.' Huckabee said he asked Israel to 'aggressively investigate' Mussallet's murder. 'Saif was just 20 yrs old,' Huckabee added. The IDF told CBS News last week that 'a joint investigation was launched by the Israel Police and the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division.' The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Thameen Al-Kheetan sounded the alarm on rising violence by Israeli settlers and security forces in the West Bank. 'Israel must immediately stop these killings, harassment and home demolitions across the occupied Palestinian territory,' Al-Kheetan said last week. 'As the occupying power, Israel must take all feasible measures to ensure public order and safety in the West Bank. It is under the obligation to protect Palestinians from settler attacks and to end the unlawful use of force by its security forces. There must be thorough, independent and transparent investigations into all killings and all other alleged violations of international law. Those responsible must be held to account.' Huckabee also visited the Christian community of Taybeh in the West Bank on Saturday after a church was reportedly attacked and vandalized by Israeli settlers. 'To commit an act of sacrilege by desecrating a place that is supposed to be a place of worship, it is an act of terror, and it is a crime. There should be consequences, and it should be harsh consequences because it is one of the last bastions of our civilization, the places where we worship,' Huckabee said in a statement. He later clarified on X that he did not attribute the cause of the arson attack on the church to anyone. Israel's post-cease-fire strikes on Iran Israel came under fire directly from Trump in June when it continued to trade strikes with Iran within hours of the U.S. President publicly announcing a cease-fire. Trump's cease-fire came after nearly two weeks of attacks between Israel and Iran that the U.S. even joined militarily, bombing three key Iranian nuclear facilities, despite Trump's longtime professed aversion to military entanglement. 'I'm not happy with Iran, but I'm really not happy with Israel,' Trump told reporters on June 24, characterizing an Iranian missile strike that Israel cited as reason to retaliate as 'one rocket that didn't land anywhere.' 'Israel, as soon as we made the deal, they came out and they dropped a load of bombs, the likes of which I've never seen before,' Trump added. The President also posted on Truth Social the same day: 'ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!'Netanyahu appeared to heed Trump's warning at the time, as the fragile cease-fire appeared to hold and the Israeli leader's friendship with Trump seemed stronger than ever. But as the Trump Administration may be tiring of focusing attention on addressing issues created by Israel, whether Netanyahu will again come near or even cross a red line for Trump remains an open question.
Boston Globe
2 hours ago
- Boston Globe
UK, Canada, and 26 other countries say the war in Gaza ‘must end now'
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