Israel Weapon Industries (IWI), the Israeli firearms manufacturer best known for developing the Uzi submachine gun, and Dutch defense company Artillerie Inrichtingen Armaments (AIA) announced on Monday that they plan to manufacture and assemble IWI weapon systems in the Netherlands.
IWI is the main weapons supplier for the Israel Defense Forces and the Israel Police. Under the planned cooperation agreement, AIA will manufacture and assemble the ARAD 5 rifle and the NEGEV UX at a factory to be built in the Netherlands.
IWI will supply the underlying technology, product expertise and manufacturing know-how, while AIA will set up the Dutch manufacturing operation along with the infrastructure to deliver and support the products. The companies said the cooperation is expected to lay the groundwork for long-term domestic production, technical expertise and lifecycle support in the Netherlands.
Assembly will begin at AIA's site in Tilburg, though the companies said the operation could move to a different location in the near future. AIA said production would be phased, starting with assembly, then moving to partial production in the Netherlands and eventually to full domestic production. The company gave no specific timeframes or investment figures, and added that the Dutch government was not involved in the agreement.
“The future of defense manufacturing will be shaped by the ability to turn proven technology into operational capability where it is needed,” said SK Group's Vice Chairman Ronen Hamudot. “We see this cooperation as an opportunity to bring our decades of experience developing and manufacturing weapon platforms for demanding operational environments into a new industrial setting.” He added: “Our focus remains on delivering proven, reliable solutions while building the manufacturing relationships needed to serve defense and security customers over the long term.”
AIA CEO Gerard Zondervan said that “a strong Dutch industrial base is fundamental to national security.” “The Netherlands needs the ability to manufacture, develop expertise and support the defense systems on which its security depends,” Zondervan said. “This cooperation is a step toward a future in which Dutch industry plays a greater role in delivering the defense capabilities our country needs.”
The announcement came a day after 200,000 people gathered in Amsterdam on Sunday to protest the Dutch government's policy toward Israel. It was the latest in a series of so-called red line demonstrations, in which participants dress in red to form a line against alleged war crimes against Palestinians.
The red line protests began in May 2025, organized by the Dutch NGO Oxfam Novib, and the first drew around 100,000 participants. The movement has grown since then. Thirteen organizations backed Sunday's gathering, including Oxfam Novib, Amnesty International and Save the Children, according to the Dutch English-language news outlet NL Times.
Sunday's protest was the fourth red line demonstration, according to NL Times, which reported that an estimated 250,000 people took part in the previous one in October 2025. Participants are demanding that the Dutch government take stronger action against Israel.
