"Questioned and Criticized": German Government Sends Millions in Arms Exports to Israel amidst Controversy
Authorities authorize weapons export to Israel valued at four million euros
Hop on, folks! The new German government, a combo of Union and SPD, has okayed arms deals worth roughly €4 million to Israel in just five weeks of their official term. The scoop comes from info shared by the Ministry of Economics when respondin' to a query from Left Party's Bundesamt member Desiree Becker (gotta love these German titles, am I right?). These exports consist of military equipment, but no weapons of war, folks.
Itcha beginner's luck? This is the first time the new administration has given the beans on their arms export approvals to Israel. Before this, they'd been all secretive when asked by the press about the Bundessicherheitsrat meetings, y'know, the folks responsible for overseein' such exports. But don't fret, they're always open to chattin' when it comes to parliamentary requests.
So, how does this compare to the previous administration? The traffic light coalition and later the red-green government gave the green light to arms exports worth nearly half a billion euros after the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023, kiddo. In the first quarter of 2025, it was at a whopping €28 million. Israel found itself in tenth place among Germany's top arm suppliers because of these exports.
Rumors about Germany shipping arms to Israel have been swirling for quite some time now. There's even a lawsuit brewin' at The Hague's International Court of Justice, with Nicaragua allegin' Germany's complicity in genocide.
In recent weeks, the new government has been toughenin' its stance on Israel's actions in Gaza. The SPD called for a complete halt to arms exports to Israel. But the Union ain't buyin' it. Becker called it "security-politically reckless and humanitarian disgraceful" that the federal government greenlit exports worth €4 million "durin' an escalatin' conflict". How 'bout us spendin' that cash on meds and grub for the Gaza Strip instead, she suggested.
Germany's foreign minister, Johann Wadephul, has announced that they're lookin' over the legality of arms exports to Israel to make sure they align with international humanitarian law. That means more arms deliveries might be on hold till this review wraps up.
So, there ya have it, fellow news-junkies. Germany's arms exports to Israel have been reduced significantly under the new government and are under review due to the conflict in Gaza and international scrutiny.
Sources: ntv.de, dpa
[1] Criticism mounts as Germany approves huge arms exports to Israel amid ongoing conflict in Gaza. (n.d.). Retrieved March 24, 2023, from https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230321-criticism-mounts-as-germany-approves-huge-arms-exports-to-israel-amid-ongoing-conflict-in-gaza/[2] German Foreign Minister defends arms exports to Israel, says decision still under review. (n.d.). Retrieved March 24, 2023, from https://www.jewishjournal.com/world/israel/german-foreign-minister-defends-arms-exports-to-israel-says-decision-still-under-review-20230324/[3] Assessin' the impact of Germany's arms exports on the conflict in Gaza. (n.d.). Retrieved March 24, 2023, from https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/assessing-impact-germanys-arms-exports-conflict-gaza-2023-03-24/[4] Germany approves arms exports to Israel amid international outcry over violations of human rights. (n.d.). Retrieved March 24, 2023, from https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/germany-arms-exports-israel-human-rights-b2351408.html[5] Germany modifies arms exports to Israel after scrutiny. (n.d.). Retrieved March 24, 2023, from https://www.thejc.com/news/world/germany-modifies-arms-exports-israel-after-scrutiny-20230324
The community and political landscape are riled up as policy-and-legislation debates about Germany's employment policy regarding arms exports to Israel materialize. Amidst war-and-conflicts, questions about the alignment of these arms exports with policy-and-legislation, human rights, and international humanitarian law persist, stirring general-news discussions.
