Berlin greenlights military exports to Israel despite previous embargo

The German government has approved additional military exports worth more than 30 million euros (over $31 million), Germany's Der Spiegel reported Monday. In 2024, German arms exports to Israel reportedly reached over 160 million euros (almost $167 million).

The latest report is based on quotes from German Bundestag member, Sevim Dağdelen. The German left-wing lawmaker, who is of Turkish descent, criticized Berlin’s decision to export arms to the State of Israel and Ukraine.

“Instead of exporting more weapons to Ukraine or Israel, we need diplomacy and negotiations to end wars and conflicts,” Dağdelen stated.

The latest military export to Israel reportedly includes German-manufactured transmissions for Israel’s Merkava battle tanks.

For years, Germany has positioned itself as one of Israel’s strongest allies in the European Union and has mostly backed the Jewish state’s right to defend itself against Iran's terror proxies in the region, including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

In April, Germany joined the United States in opposing a UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) vote for an arms embargo on Israel.

At the same time, the German government has faced escalating domestic and international criticism for its political and military support of Israel. In response, Berlin has increasingly voiced concerns about the worsening humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip amid the ongoing war between Hamas and Israel.

In October, the German newspaper Bild reported that two ministers in the German government had decided to block the transfer of military equipment to Israel. German Chancellor Olaf Schulz quickly denied the report.

“We have supplied weapons, and we will continue to supply weapons,” Schultz stated while addressing the German parliament. However, two seasoned Bild journalists noted that “since March, Germany has not greenlit a single license for arms exports to Israel.” 

Germany ranks as the second largest military exporter to Israel after the United States. Much of the Israeli Navy’s battle vessels and submarines are manufactured in Germany for the IDF and refitted with advanced Israeli technologies.

German Armed Forces benefit from Israeli military technologies. In September 2023, Germany and Israel signed a $3.5 billion deal for the delivery of Israel's Arrow 3 missile defense system. The German government has also strongly rejected South Africa’s “genocide” case against Israel presented to the International Court of Justice.

"On October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists brutally attacked, tortured, killed and kidnapped innocent people in Israel,” the German government stated in January. “Hamas's goal is to wipe out Israel."

In November, Berlin announced that it would likely disregard the International Criminal Court's (ICC) arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, citing Germany's historical responsibility stemming from its Nazi past and its enduring commitment to the Jewish people.