“Never in history has a war been decided by technology like the war between Israel and Iran”
Rafael chairman Yuval Steinitz highlights role in Iran confrontation and claims global technological edge in defense systems.
“In the last three years, we have experienced growth of several hundred percent in orders,” said Dr. Yuval Steinitz, chairman of Rafael, speaking on Wednesday at the Haifa Metropolitan Economic Future Conference.
According to him, “When I arrived at Rafael, the backlog of orders stood at 25 billion shekels. Today it is around 70 billion, and by the beginning of 2026 we expect to reach 100 billion. We are opening a Rafael branch in Haifa for the first time, employing several hundred engineers and scientists in the initial phase, and will expand further depending on developments.”
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Rafael Chairman Yuval Steinitz (right) interviewed at Haifa Conference
(Elad Gershgoren)
“Rafael is the number one defense company in the world from a scientific and technological perspective,” Steinitz continued. “There is no other defense company anywhere that comes close to Rafael’s capabilities and scientific level. In addition, Rafael is the largest employer in northern Israel, directly and indirectly employing 15,000 workers in Rafael and its subsidiaries. This is the highest-quality workforce imaginable: we have 600 doctors and professors, more than the University of Haifa or the Weizmann Institute, and 6,000 engineers. We attract highly skilled talent to the north. The Technion is a major support for Rafael, and at the same time we serve as a draw for the Technion.”
Addressing the confrontation with Iran, Steinitz said: “Never in human history has there been such a technological war, decided by technological superiority, as this operation. Three central factors led to the achievement: first, the Air Force, which carried out a complex mission 1,500 kilometers away. Second, intelligence arms, which provided information of such quality, accuracy, and detail that it made the operation possible. Without knowing where the enemy is, their strengths and weaknesses, you cannot carry out such a mission.
“The third factor is Israel’s technological superiority, thanks to the defense industries in general and Rafael in particular. In the opening strike, we eliminated dozens of senior military figures. The fact that all of them were killed within seconds, without realizing something was about to happen, was due first and foremost to Rafael’s technologies. Another example: Russia, a global power, has been trying for three years to achieve air superiority in Kyiv without success. We achieved it within 48 hours, thanks again to the defense industries, and to Rafael in particular. At the end of a letter sent to Rafael’s management by the Air Force commander and his deputy, they wrote: ‘In conclusion, without Rafael we could not have done anything.’”
On Israel’s missile defense systems, Steinitz said: “The Iron Dome and David’s Sling have no parallel in the world. No country has succeeded in developing short- and medium-range missile defense systems. During the war, about 35,000 missiles and rockets were fired at us from all directions. Without Iron Dome, there would have been a bloodbath in the cities. The country would have been paralyzed, people in shelters, no work, no schools, no high-tech. Iron Dome protected civilians as well as IDF airbases. Without it, the Air Force would not have been able to operate, and soldiers could not have enlisted. It is not for nothing that former President Trump mentions Iron Dome in every interview, this system is unique worldwide.”
On Rafael’s laser system, Iron Beam, Steinitz added: “People around the world look at us in amazement at Rafael’s laser breakthrough. Although the laser was discovered 70 years ago, every country that tried failed to weaponize it. At Rafael, three physicists insisted on continuing research. Five years ago, they achieved a historic breakthrough, enabling laser beams to maintain power over kilometers despite air resistance. We have used the laser to shoot down missiles, rockets, UAVs, and even a mortar shell. Iron Beam’s smaller system shot down UAVs from Lebanon during the war. The larger system, which incorporates adaptive optics we developed, will be delivered to the IDF by the end of the year and become operational next year.”
