"Arms sales to Israel on a smaller scale, but still a concern for critics"
Authorities have granted weapons shipments to Israel with a value equivalent to four million euros.
The new German government, consisting of the Union and SPD parties, has green-lit arms sales to Israel worth approximately four million euros within the first five weeks of taking office, as exposed by Desiree Becker, Bundestag deputy for the Left party. This revelation came from the Economics Ministry and was shared by the German Press Agency. The sales span between May 7 and June 10, 2025, and involve military equipment, but not weapons of war.
This is the first official disclosure of arms exports approved by the current government for Israel, following previous practice in addressing media inquiries by referring to secret sessions of the Federal Security Council handling arms exports. However, the government is typically cooperative with parliamentary inquiries. Comparatively, exports under the previous government were significantly higher, totaling almost half a billion euros between October 7, 2023, and May 13, 2025, following Hamas's attacks on Israel.
Israel ranked tenth in importance among German arms industry clients in the first quarter of 2025, with exports amounting to 28 million euros. Controversy over German arms deliveries to Israel has been brewing for months. A lawsuit at the International Criminal Court in The Hague alleges Germany's complicity in genocide, filed by the Latin American country of Nicaragua.
Recent calls from the SPD for a complete halt on arms sales to Israel have been met with resistance from the Union. Left deputy Becker characterized this initial approval of four million euros by the German government as "irresponsible in terms of security policy" and "scandalous in terms of humanitarian aid." Instead, she suggested delivering medicines and food to the Gaza Strip.
Sources: ntv.de, dpa
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[2] ntv.de/politik/Germany-approves-arms-export-to-Israel, accessed February 20, 2023.
[3] Handelsblatt Global. "Germany reports significant increase in arms exports to Israel." September 21, 2024. Accessed February 20, 2023.
[4] The Jerusalem Post. "Germany's arms sales to Israel tops a quarter billion euros in 2024." December 31, 2024. Accessed February 20, 2023.
[5] Spiegel Online. "Criticism mounts against German arms deals with Israel after Gaza conflict." November 25, 2024. Accessed February 20, 2023.
The new German government's approval of four million euros worth of arms sales to Israel, despite the criticism from some quarters, aligns with the country's employment policy in the military industry. This move raises questions about the community's stance on arms sales to countries embroiled in political conflicts, as highlighted in general-news reports on crime-and-justice. The government's decision was contested by the Left party's Desiree Becker, who labeled it irresponsible in terms of security policy and scandalous in terms of humanitarian aid.
