page_title: Tanks of the Israel Defense Forces
section_title: France
hierarchical_section_title: Tanks of the Israel Defense Forces / Foreign military imports of tank equipment or tanks / France
caption_attribution_description: AMX-13 at the Israeli Armoured Corps/Yad la-Shiryon Museum, Latrun, Israel.
context_section_description: Starting on the Independence day on 14 May 1948 (5 Iyar 5708), a strong military, commercial and political relationship were established between France and Israel until 1969. In 1953, an Israeli delegation visited France to examine the new AMX 13 light tank. The tank was armed with the high-velocity 75 mm gun CN 75-50, a development of the German 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 (used in the Panther tank). While the gun was satisfactory, the armor of the French tank was considered too light. Eventually, Israel did purchase the AMX 13; however in a parallel development, it was decided to graft the powerful French gun onto the available, familiar and better-armored hull of the American M4 Sherman, as the standard tank of the IDF armored units in the early 1950s.
  The highest level of the military collaboration was reached between 1956 and 1966. At this time France provided almost all the tanks along with aircraft and military ships. In 1969 the French president Charles de Gaulle limited the export of weapons to Israel. This was the end of the "golden age" 20 years of relations between Israel and France.
caption: Decommissioned IDF AMX-13 tank
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