Infographic: Restrictions on Arms Exports to Israel

In the two years since Hamas’s October 2023 massacre, multiple U.S. allies have imposed or expanded arms embargoes against Israel—often citing International Court of Justice proceedings or claims of disproportionate force. These restrictions may be politically convenient, but they punish a democratic partner defending itself against a terrorist organization bent on the eradication of the Jewish state. Some of these restrictions could have a real impact on Israel’s ability to sustain its military readiness, potentially emboldening Israel’s enemies, eroding Israel’s deterrence, and undermining the U.S. peace plan and ceasefire that went into effect on October 8.

These embargoes should never have been put in place. And now that the ceasefire is in place, they must be lifted. JINSA is releasing the below infographic documenting these harmful embargoes and will be tracking their statuses going forward.

Rather than isolating Israel, transatlantic leaders should reaffirm its right to self-defense, reject politicized embargoes, and deepen defense industrial collaboration. The same governments rightly supporting Ukraine’s defense against Russia should not deny Israel the means to defend itself against terrorism. Maintaining arms restrictions on Israel undermines the very principles—rule of law, democracy, and collective defense—that Europe and the United States claim to champion. It also weakens Western collective security. Not only does it drive a wedge between the United States and its European partners but it undercuts Europe’s own security. Israel’s technological innovations—including in missile defense and counter-drone warfare—can bolster European defenses at a time when its adversaries—China, Russia, and Iran—are coordinating more closely than ever.

Lifting these embargoes would send a clear message: that Western democracies will not allow legal distortions or propaganda campaigns to weaken an ally’s ability to survive. Israel’s security is not only an Israeli interest—it is a Western one. With the October 8 ceasefire now in place, ensuring Israel retains the military capabilities to deter Hamas from restarting hostilities and Iran from rebuilding its nuclear and missile programs is critical to sustaining lasting peace. The United States should demand that its allies move swiftly to restore their defense and dual-use exports to Israel.

	Country	Date / Instrument	Action Type	Details	Affected Goods / Sector	Category	Status
	Belgium	Feb 2024 – Walloon Region	License Suspension	Temporary suspension of two ammunition export licenses citing ICJ order and Gaza humanitarian situation.	Small arms ammunition	Embargo	Active
	Belgium	July 2025 – Brussels Court	Transit Ban	Court ordered the Flemish government to halt arms shipments to Israel via Port of Antwerp. Imposed €50,000 fine for each violation	Tank and armored vehicle components; Dual-use materials; general military cargo in transit	Embargo	Active
	Belgium	October 2025 – Federal Government	Embargo Expansion	Foreign Minister announced agreement implementing a proposed September package: ban on all arms transit, coverage extends to dual-use items with military end-user, and applies to any military equipment destined for use by Israel, incl. armed groups/private militias; frames as closing loopholes and updating 2009 commitments.	All military equipment; dual-use (military end-user); transit	Embargo	Active
	Canada	Jan 2024 – Government Resolution	License Suspension	Suspended approval for new arms exports to Israel; Honored shipments to Israel on deals signed prior January decision.	Dual-use/defense exports	Partial Suspension	Active
	France	October 2024 – Presidential Declaration	Political Statement	Macron called for halting all weapons deliveries to Israel amid Gaza/ Lebanon escalation.	General arms	Symbolic Move	One-off
	France	June 2025 – Marseille Port Blockade	Shipment Block	Dockworkers refused to load crates of ammunition links (Eurolinks) for a ship destined for Israel.	Ammunition belts/links	Symbolic Move	One-off
	France	June 2025 – Paris Air Show Directive	Political Suspension	Government ordered closure of Israeli defense industry pavilion for refusing to remove “offensive” weapons.	Defense exhibitions	Symbolic Move	One-off
	Germany	Aug 2025 – Chancellor Statement	License Freeze	Halted exports that could be used in Gaza; affected radar, vehicles, and drones.	Ground vehicles, surveillance, radar	Partial Suspension	Active
	Germany	Sept 2025 – Ministry of Economy	Selective Resumption	Resumed only “non-war goods” exports (e.g., surveillance/logistics) while Gaza-usable items remained frozen.	Surveillance/logistics	Partial Suspension	Active
	Italy	Mar 2024 – Government Policy	License Suspension	Announced suspension of all new arms export licenses to Israel since Oct 7, 2023. Honored shipments to Israel on deals signed prior to Gaza War.	Helicopters, maintenance parts, ammunition	Partial Suspension	Active
	Italy	Sept 2025 – Ravenna Port Blockade	Shipment Block	Denied transit of explosives bound for Haifa; action backed by regional officials.	Explosives (dual-use)	Partial Suspension	Active
	The Netherlands	Feb 2024 – Court of Appeal (The Hague)	F-35 Export Ban	Ordered stop to F-35 parts exports due to IHL risk; government complied.	F-35 components	Embargo	Active
	The Netherlands	Oct 2025 – Supreme Court Review	License Review	Overturned blanket ban on F-35 exports, but upheld temporary halt pending reassessment.	F-35 components	Embargo	Active
	The Netherlands	November 2025 – Rotterdam Naval Show Directive	Political Suspension	Event organizers barred Israeli defense companies from participating in the Netherlands’ larget defense exhibition.	Defense exhibitions	Symbolic Move	One-off
	Spain	Oct 2023 – Government Moratorium	License Review	Froze all new defense exports after Oct 7; denied docking to an arms-transit ship.	Dual-use/defense exports	Partial Suspension	Active
	Spain	Oct 2025 – Gov. Decree & Law	Total Embargo	Formal law banning all arms exports/imports and aviation-fuel transit to Israel.	All military equipment	Embargo	Active
	Slovenia	July 2025 – Government Resolution	Total Embargo	First EU state to impose total ban on import/export/transit of arms with Israel.	All arms and equipment	Embargo	Active
	United Kingdom	Sept 2024 – Cabinet Decision	License Suspension	Suspended ~30 arms-export licenses amid IHL review; not a blanket ban; F-35 components generally excluded unless direct to Israel.	F-16 components, UAV components, naval systems, and targeting equipment	Partial Suspension	Active
	United Kingdom	Sept 2024 – Scottish Government Decision	Funding Suspension	Suspended new awards of public money to weapons firms supplying arms to Israel.	All military equipment	Embargo	Active