The Philippines has decided it will not sign new defense contracts with Israeli arms companies unless Israel officially recognizes Philippine sovereignty over the South China Sea, a region also claimed by China, Israeli news outlet Calcalist reported on Wednesday.
“The Philippines is trying to force Israel to take sides,” a senior defense official told Calcalist. “They want us to recognize their sovereignty in the South China Sea, just as Israel recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara. Without such a declaration, they’ve made it clear they won’t sign new arms deals.”
Industry officials have attributed the Philippines’ decision in part to the Israeli Ministry of Defense’s mandate to prioritize equipment deliveries to Israeli forces amid the Gaza conflict, even at the expense of international customers.
Reports indicate that Israel’s defense ministry has already appealed to its counterpart in Manila. However, these efforts have so far yielded little success.
The Philippines is Israel’s third-largest defense customer, accounting for over 8% of its arms exports.
Its previous purchases from Israel include systems such as Rafael’s SPYDER air defense, Elbit’s ATMOS howitzers and Hermes drones, Sabrah tanks, and Shaldag boats from Israel Shipyards.
In 2020, it also bought a $40 million executive jet from Israel Aerospace Industries.
China asserts broad territorial claims over the South China Sea, an area also claimed by several other nations, including Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague determined that China’s claims lacked legal validity under international law.
