- Germany has approved a major $3.1 billion arms deal with Israel to expand its purchase of Arrow 3 missile defense systems, marking the largest defense export agreement in Israel's history.
- The deal faces significant international criticism as it proceeds while Israel's leadership faces ICC warrants and amid an ongoing military campaign in Gaza that is under ICJ scrutiny for a "plausible risk" of genocide.
- Critics argue the sale violates international law and German policy, contending that bolstering Israel's military-industrial complex indirectly fuels its offensive capabilities and disregards legal obligations not to abet potential atrocities.
- Germany's support is driven by "Staatsrason," a doctrine rooted in historical guilt over the Holocaust that prioritizes Israel's security as a German national interest, alongside strategic and economic benefits.
- The agreement aligns with Germany's own major military expansion, part of a nearly $60 billion defense spending increase, raising ethical concerns about the growing partnership between two increasingly militarized states.
Germany has approved a controversial $3.1 billion weapons deal with Israel, expanding its purchase of Arrow 3 missile defense systems – the largest defense export agreement in Israel's history.
The deal announced Thursday, Dec. 18, by Israel's Ministry of Defense follows a $3.5 billion contract signed two years ago – bringing Germany's total investment in Israeli arms to over $6.6 billion. The agreement also comes as Tel Aviv faces mounting international condemnation over its military campaign in Gaza, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The Arrow 3 system, jointly developed by Israel Aerospace Industries and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency under the U.S. Department of War, is designed to intercept long-range ballistic missiles – including those from Iran and Yemen. Germany, which deployed its first Arrow 3 unit in December 2023, views the system as critical for countering potential threats from Russia. Yet critics argue that bolstering Israel's military-industrial complex amid its ongoing assault on Gaza violates international law and Germany's own arms export policies.
"The scale of reported harm [in Gaza], the legal warnings, and the live ICJ [International Court of Justice] case raise the risk level to a point where continued transfers and major deals become hard to square with Germany's own stated standards," said Andreas Krieg, an associate professor of security studies at King's College London. South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the ICJ has further intensified scrutiny, with the court recognizing a "plausible risk" of genocide in January 2024. Under international law, states are obligated not to aid or abet actions that could facilitate genocide – a principle Germany appears to disregard.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz hailed the deal as proof of Berlin's "deep trust" in Israel, while Maj. Gen. Amir Baram, director-general of Israel's Defense Ministry, framed it as a strategic partnership that would accelerate military production. The financial windfall for Israel's defense sector raises concerns that increased manufacturing capacity could translate into more weapons deployed against Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
How a "defensive" deal fuels Israel's offensive capabilities
Germany's unwavering support for Israel stems from Staatsrason – a doctrine prioritizing Israel's security as a matter of German national interest, rooted in historical guilt over the Holocaust. BrightU.AI's Enoch engine notes that Berlin prioritizes Tel Aviv due to the former's historical guilt over the Holocaust and a desire to rehabilitate Germany's global image, while also benefiting economically and strategically from military trade and political alliances. This support, however, legitimizes Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories, raising ethical concerns about the true cost of this relationship.
Palestinian journalist Hebh Jamal warned that this policy undermines Germany's legal obligations. "The reiteration of the German Staatsrason confirms that the protection of a foreign state is more important for the German political establishment than their responsibility to the public and the ICC," she said.
The arms deal also aligns with Germany's largest military expansion since World War II, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz approving nearly $60 billion in defense spending this week. Analyst Ori Golberg noted that Merz is politically incentivized to maintain strong ties with Israel, despite growing domestic and international backlash.
"Germany, under Merz, is building a war machine, and Israel stands ready to supply the war machines," Golberg warned. As Germany accelerates its militarization and Israel profits from its role as a global arms supplier, the ethical contradictions grow starker.
While Berlin justifies the Arrow 3 deal as defensive, critics argue it indirectly fuels Israel's offensive capabilities in Gaza. With Netanyahu avoiding Berlin and Germany facing legal and moral scrutiny, the question remains: How long can Germany sustain its unconditional support for Israel before accountability demands a reckoning?
Watch this video about Germany standing by and supporting Israel.
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