“Make Iran like Gaza”: Chilling insider view from Israel weapons expo

‘Iran is like Gaza’ and the genocide in Palestine is described as a weapons testing laboratory. Michael West And Stephanie Tran with the inside story of an arms fair.

In a conference room at Tel Aviv University, executives, generals and venture capitalists took turns boasting about Israel’s “battle-proven” weapons and surveillance systems.

On: Defense Technologies Week 2025Senior figures in Israel’s defense establishment have openly described how the genocide in Gaza accelerated weapons development, unlocked new export markets and reshaped Israel’s global identity as a defense power.

Less than 70 kilometers from where the conference was held, Gaza was buried under rubble. More than two years of genocide, indiscriminate bombardment and mass displacement have resulted in the deaths of at least 70,000 Palestinians and the destruction of 90% of the Strip.

Gaza weapons laboratory

Defense Technology Week promotes startups as a forum that brings together investors, defense experts and policymakers. According to its organizers, the event showcases “practical lessons from Israel’s cutting-edge solutions to global security challenges.”

MWM obtained the images Leave Site News in the USA.

The speakers resembled a roll call of Israel’s military-industrial complex, attended by senior Israeli military leaders, Defense Ministry officials and executives of Israel’s largest weapons manufacturers, including Israel Aerospace Industries, Elbit Systems and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

Speakers framed the war as a lucrative opportunity for weapons development and sales.

“These are not laboratory projects or PowerPoint concepts,” said Israeli Defense Ministry Director General Amir Baram. “These are battle-proven systems.”

Gili Drob-Heistein, Executive Director of the Blavatnik ICRC and the Yuval Ne’eman Workshop on Science, Technology and Security, described defense technology as Israel’s “next great economic engine.”

“Israel is known as the startup country,” he said. “We all believe that defense technology has the potential to become the next great economic engine for Israel.”

He credited what he called Israel’s “technological leadership” and “outside-the-box thinking” for the results “we’ve seen on the battlefield lately.”

For Israel Aerospace Industries President and CEO Boaz Levy, the war presented an opportunity to showcase the company’s wares, with IAI’s weapons deployed in Gaza, Iran and Yemen.

“The war we have experienced in the last two years has made many of our products available in the rest of the world,” he said.

“Starting in Gaza and moving on to Iran and Yemen, I can say that many of IAI’s products are there.”

Real-time battle data

Elbit Systems CTO Yehoshua (Shuki) Yehuda spoke about the deployment of autonomous systems and mass data collection in real-time warfare. He showed a video showing how an AI-powered system developed by Elbit was used to select and track targets “less than a pixel in size.”

“This is all done by collecting data,” he said, describing the ability to track “small targets, less than a pixel, against a very challenging background.”

He explained that these systems were developed in cooperation with the IDF and are improved by continuous data collection during military operations.

We support genocide. Australian funds risk violating international law.

Profiting from genocide

Speakers spoke candidly about the extent of financial opportunities presented by genocide.

According to Amir Baram, more than 300 startups are currently working with MAFAT, Israel’s military research directorate, and 130 of them joined during the current war alone. He said the ministry is investing 1.2 billion shekels in defense initiatives in 2024.

Baram focused on Israel’s rise in the global boom in defense spending.

Pointing to the increase in spending from NATO countries and the increase in US defense spending exceeding $1 trillion, he said, “Global defense spending reached $2.7 trillion in 2024.”

“By partnering with Israel, you gain access to our advanced technologies as well as valuable insights and experience that make our system truly effective. The world chose to partner with Israel because trust in defense must be built on reliability, performance and shared strategic objectives.”

Baram said that in 2024 alone, Israel signed 21 intergovernmental defense agreements worth billions of dollars, positioning Tel Aviv as the world’s third-largest defense technology hub.

At Israel Aerospace Industries, Levy said 80% of the company’s operations are export-oriented.

“IAI currently has $27 billion in new orders,” he said, with annual sales of about $7 billion.

Elbit Systems reported annual revenue of $8 billion and backlog of $25 billion, with more than 20,000 employees worldwide.

‘Compare Iran to Gaza’

Speakers were clear about how the techniques developed and used in Gaza could be applied in future conflicts.

The head of the Israeli Defense Research and Development Agency, Dr. Daniel Gold described scenarios in which Israel would replicate Gaza-style control in Iran.

“Once we have operational freedom in the air,” he said, “we will inject our fleet of UAVs that control Tehran and control Iran – which means we will make Iran like Gaza.”

Gold pointed out the practicality of “dual-use” technology, which has both civilian and military applications.

“A swarm of drones controlling traffic in Tel Aviv could be the same as a swarm of drones controlling Gaza,” he said.

During his presentation, video footage was shown of a semi-autonomous drone targeting a person inside an apartment building; The images bore striking similarities to documented Israeli attacks on residential buildings that killed civilians. Killed Dr Marwan al-Sultan and his family.

“It’s very simple to use,” Gold explained. “Semi-autonomous.”

Mounting pressure

in it report Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine on the “Economics of Genocide”, stated that “for Israeli companies such as Elbit Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries, ongoing genocide is a profitable enterprise.”

The military-industrial complex became the economic backbone of the state.

report found.

Two years after Israel’s live-streamed genocide in Gaza, rulers appear acutely aware of mounting international pressure.

RAFAEL Advanced Defense Systems manager Shlomo Toaff complained that “Israel is experiencing a boycott.”

“I think Israel is experiencing a boycott,” he said, referring to the company’s exclusion from the Paris Air Show last year. “This is something we need to consider when we talk about what we do in the industry.”

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