Dishing the Dirt: Germany's Controversial Arms Exports to Israel Approved, Sparking Outrage
Authorities Sanction Euro 4 Million Arms Exports to Israel
The freshly minted German government, a coalition of Union and SPD, has given the green light to arms exports worth a staggering €4 million to Israel, according to left-wing MP Desiree Becker. The Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS) reports this shocking revelation, made between May 7 and June 10, 2025. This controversial decision goes against Israel’s military actions in the Palestinian Gaza Strip, which are under heavy criticism worldwide. Yet, military equipment - not weapons of war - were on the menu.
It’s the first time the new government has shared such details about its arms exports approval to Israel. Until now, the government had been hush-hush in media interviews, referring to secret sessions of the Federal Security Council responsible for arms exports whenever asked. However, the government does not shy away from providing information when asked by parliamentarians. Compared to the previous government, the amount of approvals is significantly lower. Following a Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, the traffic light coalition and later the minority red-green government approved arms exports worth nearly €500 million. In the first quarter of 2025, the figure was €28 million, placing Israel in tenth place among the leading recipients of German arms.
heated discussions about German arms deliveries to Israel have been ongoing for months. There’s even a lawsuit pending at The Hague’s International Criminal Court, with Latin American country Nicaragua claiming Germany is complicit in genocide.
Recent weeks have witnessed an escalation of criticism from the German government against Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip. Voices from the SPD have called for a complete halt to arms exports to Israel. However, the Union opposes this standpoint. Becker, the left-wing MP, slammed the German government’s €4 million arms exports approval “during an escalating conflict” as “security-politically irresponsible and humanitarily scandalous.” Instead of these weapons, she argues, “countless medicines and food” could have been delivered to Gaza.
Sources: ntv.de, dpa
The Long and Short of It:
Germany’s renewed controversy over arms exports to Israel revolves around the country’s reevaluation of its arms trade with Israel amid a worsening Gaza crisis and escalating ethical and legal concerns. The new government has halted exports of weapons of war but continues deliveries within guidelines. Meanwhile, humanitarian disasters and civilian casualties pile up in Gaza, causing concerns about Germany’s potential complicity in the suffering of Palestinians. It’s a delicate balance for Germany, conflicting its longstanding support for Israel’s security with the need to respect international law.
- The German government's employment policy, particularly regarding arms exports, has been under scrutiny following the controversial approval of €4 million worth of military equipment to Israel, amidst global criticism of Israel's military actions in the Gaza Strip.
- The ongoing war-and-conflicts in the Gaza Strip have led to a surge in general-news coverage, with political debates in Germany focusing on the ethical and legal implications of their weapons exports to Israel, highlighting the complex nature of their community policy in these turbulent times.
