Israel Approves National Critical Minerals Plan to Counter China Dependency
The Israeli government unanimously approved a national strategic plan for critical minerals, spearheaded by Foreign Minister Gideon Saar following a US-led initiative in Washington to reduce reliance on China.
The Israeli government unanimously approved a proposal by Foreign Minister Gideon Saar to formulate a national strategic plan for critical minerals. The move follows Saar's participation in a Washington conference convened by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio aimed at reducing global dependency on China.
"This is a matter of primary strategic importance, a national security issue," Saar stated, emphasizing that the government resolution is a vital step in advancing the national initiative. The framework is based on recommendations from an inter-ministerial team led by Foreign Ministry Director-General Eden Bar Tal, designed to secure reliable raw material supplies.
Critical minerals serve as essential raw materials for advanced technologies, ranging from electric vehicles and weapon systems to artificial intelligence and energy infrastructure. Because production and processing are heavily concentrated in a few nations, primarily China, supply chains have evolved into a core geostrategic challenge.
Foreign Minister Saar was invited to the ministerial conference held in February, co-chaired by Secretary Rubio and US Vice President JD Vance, with delegations from 54 countries and the European Union attending. The inter-ministerial team's mandate focuses on securing domestic and defense supplies while leveraging Israeli technological innovation to build strategic international partnerships.
