IDF soldiers in Gaza, illustration
IDF soldiers in Gaza, illustrationIDF

Channel 13 News reports that tens of millions of dollars of equipment donated for Israel's security forces, as well as civilians evacuated due to the war, are in danger of being destroyed by Israeli customs authorities.

According to the report, almost seven tons of equipment, including medical supplies, weapon parts, protective equipment, and drones, does not meet Israeli product standards and so is forbidden for import. The seized equipment includes both items donated to security forces and those purchased by soldiers from their own funds.

Meeting Israeli import standards, for many products, requires the approval of the relevant government ministries independent of any testing performed in other countries. On occasion, those looking to have goods released from customs can be redirected between ministries multiple times. On occasion, the release process takes so long that the goods are considered 'unwanted' and destroyed by the tax authorities.

Similar equipment purchased within Israel can cost many times what it does to import, straining both the limited budgets available to units seeking to supplement their equipment and the capacity of individuals who have decided to shoulder the cost themselves.

Former MK Abir Kara, who works with organizations that distribute the donated supplies that are released, called for greater government cooperation to resolve the obstacles. ''There are insane amounts of supplies here, enough to make a change in the cost of living. Every ministry needs to send a few people to create an external committee to both make sure these donations are going where they're needed and not dangerous to the public.''

Under a recent reform by the Economy Ministry, registered commercial importers can bypass testing, inspections, and permitting on thousands of products that are categorized as low risk, as long as they attest that the products meet Israeli standards. The ministry estimates that processing fees and delays increased the cost of imported goods by as much as 9%.

Economy Minister Nir Barkat hailed the reforms as a victory for consumers.

“From now on, no shipping container will be delayed at the port and merchandise will reach shelves directly without unnecessary bureaucracy — and without the cost increases that are passed on to consumers,” he said in a press release.

Many of the charities coordinating the donations refute the claim, noting that they are not registered importers and so cannot benefit from the new regulations. They say that under the old system, charities were exempt from bureaucratic obstacles that allowed them to get through customs quickly. In addition, a separate tax provision that also benefited the charities has similarly lapsed in recent months.

Donors from outside of Israel have begun to grow wary of the many pitfalls of sending equipment, and are beginning to refrain from sending more. This trend is even more dangerous when the war in Gaza is rapidly approaching its ninth month, a new front in Lebanon appears closer than ever, and IDF combat units report urgent need of drones, advanced gunsights, protective gear, and medical supplies.

The IDF has on multiple occasions denied any shortages and insisted that all soldiers are issued all the equipment they need for their assignments.