Green Light Given by the Merz Regime for Arms Exports to Israel
Sales of weapons to Israel valued nearly at EUR 4 million
Berlin (dpa) - In the initial five weeks of the new Union and SPD government, they've given the nod for arms exports worth approximately four million euros to Israel. This disclosure was made by the Ministry of Economics in response to a query from the Left Party's Bundestag member Desiree Becker, revealed by the German Press Agency.
As per this information, German manufacturers were given the go-ahead to supply military equipment worth 3.986 million euros to the country, which has drawn heavy criticism due to its military operations in the Palestinian Gaza Strip, between May 7 and June 10, 2025. It's important to note that no weapons of war were part of this shipment.
Relatively Minuscule Approval Scope
This marks the first disclosure by the new government regarding the extent of arms exports they've approved for Israel. Prior to this, the government had only hinted at meeting secrecy within the Bundessicherheitsrat, the body responsible for handling arms exports, when approached by the media. However, the government has been known to provide information when responding to parliamentary inquiries.
The extent of the approvals under the new government is relatively minor compared to the previous administration. The traffic light coalition and the subsequent red-green minority government authorized arms exports worth nearly half a billion euros after the Hamas terror attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. In the first quarter of 2025, it was 28 million euros, earning Israel the tenth spot among the most significant recipient countries of the German arms industry.
Legal Wrangle at the International Court of Justice over Arms Exports
Discussions surrounding German arms deliveries to Israel have been ongoing for months. A lawsuit has even been submitted to the International Court of Justice in The Hague by the Latin American nation of Nicaragua, alleging Germany of complicity in genocide.
In recent weeks, the new government has gradually amplified its criticism of Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip. There have been calls from the SPD to completely halt arms exports to Israel. However, the Union remains opposed to this.
Becker, a Left Party member in the Bundestag, described the federal government's approval of four million euros in arms exports "in the midst of an escalating war," as "security-politically reckless and humanitarianly appalling." According to her, "countless medicines and food" could have been transported to the Gaza Strip instead.
Enrichment Data:
The ongoing lawsuit against Germany at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over arms exports to Israel presents the following status:
- The lawsuit was filed by Nicaragua, which accuses Germany of aiding and abetting genocide through its arms exports to Israel. The case is currently ongoing at the ICJ.
- In April 2024, the ICJ denied Nicaragua's urgent request to compel Germany to halt arms exports to Israel, but dismissed the lawsuit completely. The Court asserted that the exports were not explicitly deemed lawful but cautiously avoided making a definitive judgment[2][5].
- Since the outbreak of conflict on October 7, 2023, Germany has authorized arms exports to Israel amounting to approximately €485 million by mid-May 2025. Despite the lawsuit and political pressure, Germany has continued arms exports, with periodic fluctuations in approval rates. For example, approvals decreased in early 2025 but afterwards increased beyond pre-hearing levels[1][4][5].
- Politically, Germany has imposed a hold on new approvals for "war weapons" exports to Israel amidst the legal and political challenges, yet no official ban or comprehensive boycott has been implemented. The government continues to review export applications on a case-by-case basis, keeping international humanitarian law a primary consideration[4][5].
- Public opinion in Germany shows strong support (73%) for stricter controls on arms exports, suggesting domestic pressure on the government to reassess its arms export policy towards Israel[3].
To break it down, the ICJ lawsuit brought by Nicaragua against Germany for its arms exports to Israel is still pending, with the Court declining to halt exports but allowing the case to progress[1][2][4][5]. Despite this, Germany, under pressure from both legal and politicalfronts, has reduced but not ceased arms exports and maintains a case-by-case review approach without an official embargo[1][2][4][5].
- The approval of four million euros in arms exports to Israel, amidst escalating conflicts and a pending lawsuit at the International Court of Justice, raises concerns about the intersection of politics, finance, and the arms industry with general news.
- Despite the ongoing legal wrangle at the ICJ over arms exports to Israel, the German government's approval of such exports exhibits a intriguing balance within the delicate nexus of industry, finance, politics, and general-news dynamics.
