German arms exports to Israel increase despite sales ban rumours

Germany’s arms exports to Israel are much higher than the government said they were, with new numbers showing the government approved exports worth €94 million since August alone.

Last week, Berlin said it had approved €45 million worth of arms exports to Israel for the entire year up to 13 October — a significantly lower sum than before, all amid rumours that the government had stopped approving arms export permits altogether.

The new numbers were made available in response to a query from an MP of the left-wing nationalist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW).

The German government was previously accused of blocking arms export permits to Israel, who have expanded their military campaign in the Gaza Strip to fight the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon’s south and capital of Beirut.

The country’s biggest opposition party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), accused the government of blocking export applications from arms companies entirely.

Its leader, Friedrich Merz, cited figures from an earlier parliamentary question that showed only €14 million worth of deliveries were approved from January to mid-August, a significant decrease from €326 million the previous year.

Media reports based on earlier numbers indicated the government had not approved any arms export licenses to Israel between March and September.

‘We have delivered weapons and we will deliver weapons’

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had categorically denied that his ruling coalition had stopped approving arms exports to Israel, telling parliament in October, “We have delivered weapons, and we will deliver weapons.”

Berlin has faced legal questions over its continued delivery of arms to Israel. In April, Nicaragua brought a case to the International Court of Justice accusing Germany of breaching the United Nations genocide convention by sending arms to Israel.

In June, a group of five Palestinians brought a lawsuit to a court in Berlin intending to force Germany to stop arms exports to Israel, supported by the European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights. Their case was rejected by the Berlin administrative court.

Members of Scholz’ “traffic light” coalition have addressed the controversy, arguing that weapons deliveries are in line with international law.

“Every individual case must be examined. This is what the European Union guidelines stipulate and they are being adhered to,” Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said.

In 2023, Germany was responsible for 47% of Israel’s total imports of conventional arms — second only to the US — according to data published by investigative outlet Forensic Architecture from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.