Israel’s factories grind to a halt as foreign technicians refuse to come
Cottage cheese shortage exposed a broader crisis across Israeli industry, where foreign technicians are refusing to install or repair imported machinery, leaving multimillion-shekel production lines idle and manufacturers improvising remote fixes
Navit Zomer|07.20.26 | 04:24
A shortage of Tnuva cottage cheese caused by a malfunction in a sophisticated system purchased abroad has exposed a much broader problem facing Israeli manufacturers. Factories across the country say they have become increasingly isolated, with foreign technicians refusing to travel to Israel even when they are needed to install, maintain or repair industrial machinery.
A ynet review found that the disruption spans nearly every branch of Israeli manufacturing, where factories depend heavily on imported machinery. Foreign specialists are needed both to install equipment at new plants and to keep existing production lines running across sectors such as steel, plastics and food, including facilities that supply export markets.
Israel’s growing isolation is now being felt through technicians’ reluctance to enter the country. Some companies cite Israel’s classification as a war zone, saying insurers will not cover their employees’ stay.
In Italy, however, manufacturers say even that explanation is unnecessary because labor unions are refusing to allow their members to travel to Israel.
Asked how the Economy Ministry, which oversees industry, was addressing the problem, the ministry said: “The classification of Israel as a war zone is a diplomatic matter and does not fall under the ministry’s authority.”
Dr. Ron Tomer, a former president of the Manufacturers Association of Israel and owner of the pharmaceutical company Unipharm, said factories without strong engineering departments were particularly vulnerable.
“We had a new machine worth 20 million shekels ($5.5 million), but with no technicians willing to come, we spent two months installing it remotely with guidance from Germany,” he said. “We had to set up an elaborate camera system so the European technicians could direct our engineering team over Zoom.”
Tomer said the challenge does not end once a machine is installed. Many advanced systems require ongoing maintenance by foreign specialists using proprietary equipment unavailable in Israel.
“We managed because we have a strong engineering department, and the supplier located a technician married to an Israeli,” he said. “We covered the cost of bringing him and his wife to Israel for two months, including their accommodation.”
Israel produces little of the machinery its factories rely on, Tomer said, leaving manufacturers dependent on foreign suppliers and technicians. “For now, everyone is improvising,” he said. “The public notices only when cottage cheese disappears from supermarket shelves, not when a factory lacks a specialized blade for precision machining. This is an insane crisis that the Foreign Ministry must address.”
READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE.