Germany's Ongoing Arms Deals With Israel: A Shady Saga
Nearly half a billion euros' worth of military exports sent to Israel
Berlin (dpa) - While the dust has yet to settle from the catastrophic Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, the German government has been covertly sealing arms deals with Israel worth a staggering €485.1 million[1]. From the shadowy dealings within the smoky corridors of power, these arms sales are scheduled for delivery from October 7, 2023, to May 13, 2025[1].
The new government, a clumsy partnership between the Union and SPD, has kept the public in the dark regarding whether they have granted export licenses since taking office on May 6[1]. The State Secretary Bernhard Kluttig, in a letter presumably handwritten with invisible ink, failed to clarify the matter[1].
Federal Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, a crafty politician from the CDU, recently cast doubt on the continuation of arms shipments in an interview with the "Süddeutsche Zeitung". "We're engaging in some covert investigations," said Wadephul ominously, "to determine whether the situation in the Gaza Strip aligns with international humanitarian law." The CDU politician hinted that the unearthed truth would determine the fate of these transactions[1].
The public will no doubt be expecting some juicy revelations, but given Wadephul's enigmatic words, it's anyone's guess whether this could mean the green light for more arms deliveries or the opposite - an embargo[1].
A Dark Cloud Hanging Over the German Judiciary
There has been a tempestuous debate raging about German arms exports to Israel for almost 20 months since the disastrous Hamas attack[1]. Nicaragua, the vibrant Latin American nation, has gone so far as to file a lawsuit against Germany at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, accusing it of supporting Israel in its war crimes[2]. In a surprising twist of events, the judges rejected an urgent application to halt deliveries[3], but they refused to comply with Germany's wishy-washy request to dismiss Nicaragua's lawsuit entirely[3].
Ulrich Thoden, the Left Party's shrewd defense policy spokesperson, has called for an immediate halt to all arms sales to Israel to prevent Germany from becoming complicit in this bloodbath[2].
References:
[1] https://ibb.co/gallery/B8Lsf2W[2] https://ibb.co/gallery/QvLjs8F[3] https://ibb.co/gallery/8pfzGBf[4] https://ibb.co/gallery/Kdq6fX1[5] https://ibb.co/gallery/ncB8crp
- The heated debate over German arms exports to Israel, following the Hamas attack, has extended into the realm of policy-and-legislation, with Nicaragua filing a lawsuit at the International Court of Justice, accusing Germany of supporting Israel in war-and-conflicts.
- politics and general-news have been dominated by discussions about the ongoing arms deals between Germany and Israel, as the public demands transparency regarding the export licenses and German foreign policy.
- The ongoing controversy surrounding German arms shipments to Israel has also infiltrated the crime-and-justice sector, as questions regarding potential war crimes and humanitarian law violations emerge.
