Germany greenlights €30 million in arms sales to Israel, despite global backlash

Germany approved further arms exports to Israel worth more than €30 million ($31.2 million) over the past few weeks.

Overall, Germany gave the green light to weapon exports to Israel worth more than €160 million over the year, despite growing international criticism over Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip, Caliber.Az reports via German media.

The latest arms export figures were released by the Ministry of Economics following an inquiry.

While the German government has fulfilled many of Israel's arms requests, it has not delivered any goods classified as weapons of war, such as artillery or tank ammunition.

The government in Tel Aviv made a specific request for such weapons of war shortly after the Hamas attack in October 2023. But so far there has been no approval from Berlin.

The German deliveries include transmissions for the Israeli Merkava tanks are made in Germany after Berlin's approval of the deliveries in the summer.

The delivery of weapons which can be used in Gaza was halted in March after Nicaragua brought a case against Germany before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing it of aiding “genocide” in Gaza.

Germany has long been a key ally of Israel, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz often emphasizing Germany’s special responsibility for Israel’s security because of the country’s Nazi past.

Critics argue, however, that Germany’s unwavering support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is damaging its international credibility and further isolating Berlin on the global stage.

Germany has historically been a significant supplier of military equipment to Israel. In 2023, Germany approved arms exports to Israel valued at €326.5 million, marking a substantial increase from previous years.

However, in 2024, there has been a notable reduction in these exports. By December 2024, Germany had authorized only $168.6 million worth of military equipment to Israel, a sharp decline from the $341.9 million approved in 2023.

This decrease is attributed to growing legal challenges and concerns over potential violations of international humanitarian law. In September 2024, reports indicated that Germany had ceased approving war weapons exports to Israel, reflecting a more cautious approach to such transactions.

Despite these reductions, Germany remains a key supplier of military equipment to Israel. Between 2019 and 2023, Germany accounted for 30% of Israel's major arms imports, primarily supplying naval equipment.

Since Israel began its military campaign against Hamas in Gaza last October, more than 45,300 people, most of them women and children have been killed, and over 105,000 wounded.

Israel is facing a genocide case at the ICJ for its actions in Gaza, where millions of Palestinians remain displaced and face severe shortages of food, medical supplies and other essentials.

By Khagan Isayev