If there is an issue that is not in dispute regarding the expected new government policy, it is that Benjamin Netanyahu will strive to strongly promote the issues related to the Abraham Accords with the countries that signed it, and to expand them to additional countries. Last week we revealed here an exchange of messages between Netanyahu and some of the leaders of the Arab countries, including some with whom we do not yet have direct relations. In the exchange of messages, Netanyahu clarified that he will be solely responsible for Israel’s foreign relations and security policy.
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According to an Israeli political source, this is one of the main reasons why Netanyahu opposes Bezalel Smotrich’s demand for his appointment as Defense Minister. This is a position where countless decisions are sensitive and have the ability to have a dramatic effect on relations with Arab countries. The same source said that the only thing that is interesting is the size of the party, which does not help Smotrich’s demand – the main story is the experience and the ability to have a strategic view when marking the path and making decisions. “Smotrich is a talented person and learns quickly, but this position requires additional qualities that he does not have at this stage,” said the source. Does his hawkish political/security view also have weight in opposing his appointment to the position? “Certainly, the four senior positions, prime minister, foreign minister, finance minister and defense minister are statements to the entire world, even before the appointments are realized. Smotrich in the Ministry of Defense will prevent progress with several countries in advance.” And a gentleman in the Ministry of Internal Security? “Here it is a little more complex, and less problematic. If indeed he is appointed, there is an absolute understanding that in the explosive issues of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, nothing will happen without the Prime Minister’s knowledge and approval!” This determination will probably stand a practical test quite soon, at the pace of events that we are used to in Israel, and in Jerusalem in particular.
Netanyahu spoke with some of the heads of these countries during the week. On Thursday, an interesting conversation was held with Turkish President Erdogan, a bitter rival until recently. Pay attention to the statement at the end of the meeting: “The two leaders agreed to work together to establish a new era in relations between Turkey and Israel.”
In the civil/economic fields, Netanyahu has plans and intentions to speed up relations with the countries of the Abraham Accords and the countries of the region, and among other things to resolve problems in existing projects such as the Shaar Jordan Industrial Zone and others. The outgoing government, as we recently reported, had difficulty promoting such projects, and Minister Issawi Farij lamented about it a week ago here in the weekly column.
In the meantime, progress has been made in several areas: the scope of sales of the defense industries to the countries of the Abraham Accords is increasing, and also in civilian transactions. The Mekorot company signed on Thursday a memorandum of understanding with the National Water and Electricity Company of Morocco, for cooperation mainly in the field of desalination, management of water systems and the integration of innovative technologies in processes. Amit Lang, CEO of Mekorot, said that this is a breakthrough made possible by the Abraham agreements, and it brings Israeli knowledge to fruition in countries that need it. Mekorot, we will mention, signed an agreement in Bahrain to build a master plan for the water sector there.
Iran pays back
the tank war
Iranian attacks on tankers and cargo ships indirectly connected to Israel have also happened in the past. This week’s attack on Pacific Zircon, a tanker belonging to a company partially owned by Idan Ofer, changes the rules.
This time it is a response to the Israeli airstrikes in Syria. The most notable recent attack is on a convoy of oil tankers that crossed the border from Iraq to Syria, most likely a smuggled shipment of Iranian oil for the benefit of Hezbollah, together with trucks carrying weapons to the same destination. Iran has so far failed to respond to attacks in Syria in which, including the one mentioned here, Iranians have been killed. The attack on the tanker off the coast of Oman is an attempt to change the equation.
There will probably be a tactical Israeli response. A strategic Israeli response will await the next prime minister and defense minister. Such a response should be coordinated with the friendship in the region as well as with the US, due to its broad implications.
Global chaos is good for the defense industries
The aerospace industry’s three-quarter report published on Thursday points to what appears to be the best year in the history of the Israeli defense company. IAA increased the volume of sales from the beginning of the year to $3.6 billion, the overwhelming majority for export, and achieved a net profit of $202 million, an increase of 135% compared to 2021. As mentioned, the company’s best figures ever. The company’s order backlog increased To almost 16 billion dollars, an increase of another 2.4 billion from the end of 2021.
The Chairman of the Aerospace Industry Amir Peretz said in a conversation with Globes that among the reasons for the increase, the realization of large sales transactions in the field of UAVs – the shiny toy of the current and future battlefields, and also the transactions with the countries of the Abraham Accords. “We have completed several mega deals and we are expected to continue this trend in the future as well.” What does this mean about the company’s ongoing if not delayed IPO process? According to Peretz, the aerospace industry is prepared and ready for an IPO, and all they are waiting for is the end of the legal process in the hands of the Attorney General’s office. “As soon as it arrives, the spring will be released and we will run.” The TA hopes that the new government will give its blessing and support to the move that began during the Netanyahu government two years ago. The company’s CEO Boaz Levy said that “the company’s performance led to an increase in the company’s credit rating in the third quarter, thereby contributing to the strengthening of its activity in front of the capital market and its preparation for the IPO In the coming period. In recent months, the aerospace industry won a number of strategic projects that constitute a technological and operational breakthrough.”
Elbit is also deep in a successful sales period. On Thursday, the company announced a $200 million deal to supply self-defense suits for helicopters to one of the Asian countries. These are anti-missile electronic defense systems for helicopters that use, among other things, advanced laser technologies.
And a word about the sale to Germany of arrow missile systems and the accompanying radar intended for defense against ballistic missiles. It is expected that the American approval will arrive in early 2023 and the systems will be delivered by the end of 2024, the estimated value of the deal is about 3 billion dollars, the largest deal ever in the Israeli defense industries Germany appealed to Israel to help speed up the receipt of American approval, due to the fear of the expansion of fighting in Ukraine. However, it does not appear that Ukraine itself, which desperately needs such systems due to the increasing attacks of missiles from Russia, will soon receive Israeli defense systems.
The expectation for the coming years is that, despite the tough competition in the defense sales industry, the Israeli companies will increase the volumes of sales and contracts by considerable rates.@
Weekend column | Political
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