Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government repeatedly opted not to increase funding for interceptor missiles in recent years, despite rising tensions with Iran and multiple large-scale ballistic missile attacks, according to an investigation by Channel 12.

The report, aired Saturday, alleged that Iran has produced ballistic missiles at a far higher rate than Israel’s interceptor output, estimating that for every interceptor manufactured in Israel, Tehran produced 10 of its own.

In 2024, a year before the 12 days of open warfare between Israel and Iran in June 2025, the Islamic Republic fired hundreds of ballistic missiles at the Jewish state in two separate attacks — the first in April and the second in October. At the time of the attacks, Israel’s stockpile of long-range interceptors, particularly the Arrow 3, was limited.

The Arrow 3 is Israel’s most advanced long-range defense system, meant to intercept ballistic missiles — like the type fired from Iran — while they are still outside the Earth’s atmosphere.

Despite the scale of the 2024 attacks, the Channel 12 investigation found that no emergency government or cabinet discussions were held to significantly ramp up interceptor production, with manufacturing rates largely unchanged.

A senior defense official cited in the report described the situation as “crazy,” saying, “The Iranians fire at us twice — hundreds of missiles — and it doesn’t move anything.”

A special defense budget committee led by Prof. Jacob Nagel recommended an increase in Arrow 3 production at the end of 2024, but the proposal was not acted upon.

“After the Nagel Committee, they already knew they........

© The Times of Israel