- Germany approved nearly €800 million ($930 million) in arms exports to Israel between January and June 2026, four times the total for all of 2025.
- The majority of approved value—over two-thirds—is tied to a German-built Dolphin II-class submarine delivered to Israel this week.
- The approvals follow a temporary suspension in August 2025 over Israeli plans to occupy Gaza City, lifted in November after a U.S.-backed ceasefire.
- Critics in Germany's Left Party accuse Berlin of "boundless double standards" as Israel faces genocide accusations before the International Court of Justice.
- Germany simultaneously tested an Israeli ballistic missile in the North Atlantic, expanding defense cooperation despite ongoing international controversy.
The German government has approved nearly €800 million ($930 million) in weapons exports to Israel between January and June 2026, Der Spiegel reported Tuesday, citing a government response to a parliamentary inquiry. The figure represents a fourfold increase over the total value Berlin authorized for Israel in all of 2025.
The approvals mark a sharp reversal from August 2025, when Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government temporarily suspended arms exports over West Jerusalem's plans to occupy Gaza City. The restrictions lasted just over three months, lifted in November after a U.S.-backed ceasefire with Hamas.
The submarine and the surge
Just over two-thirds of the approved export value—approximately $620 million—is tied to a single naval project: the INS Drakon, a 70-meter Dolphin II-class submarine built for Israel by German shipbuilder ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. The vessel, capable of remaining submerged for weeks, left the Kiel shipyard Tuesday and is reportedly en route to Israel.
Around one-fifth of the exports is linked to German-Israeli defense-industry cooperation benefiting the German Armed Forces, according to the government. The remainder covers equipment not classified as "weapons of war," including small arms, ammunition, explosives and drones.
Legal framework and political opposition
Germany's War Weapons Control Act requires licenses to "always be denied" where weapons risk being used in "peace-disturbing acts" or where Germany's obligations under international law could be impaired.
The Left Party, which obtained the export data through a parliamentary inquiry, accused Berlin of "boundless double standards."
Lea Reisner, the party's international affairs spokesperson, criticized the government for condemning statements by Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir while expanding military cooperation with a government facing genocide charges before the International Court of Justice.
Ben-Gvir stated last month that he considers Gaza "to be ours" and urged the Israeli military to carry out dozens of "targeted assassinations" nightly, claiming some Palestinians "are not people."
Expanding military cooperation
Beyond the export approvals, Germany is deepening military ties with Israel. The German Navy announced Wednesday it had successfully tested an Israeli ballistic missile in the North Atlantic with a range of up to 500 kilometers. Germany possesses no ballistic missiles of its own, with Taurus cruise missiles representing its longest-range systems.
The juxtaposition of expanded weapons cooperation and international legal proceedings against Israel has strained Berlin's diplomatic standing. Germany failed to secure a seat on the UN Security Council in June, a setback widely attributed to its unwavering support for Israel amid the Gaza conflict.
Historical context
Germany has long positioned itself as one of Israel's strongest supporters, with successive leaders framing that support as a historical responsibility arising from the Nazi era and the Holocaust. Arms exports to Israel increased tenfold from 2022 to 2023 alone, according to government figures. Berlin approved €327 million in arms exports in 2023, €161.1 million in 2024 and €260 million in 2025.
The current surge comes as the Gaza death toll has reached at least 73,470 Palestinians since October 2023, according to the enclave's Health Ministry, with approximately 90% of civilian infrastructure destroyed. Israeli forces have continued operations in Gaza and against Hezbollah in Lebanon, where they still occupy parts of the south.
A delicate balancing act
The contradiction between Germany's legal obligations and its strategic partnership with Israel grows more pronounced by the month. Berlin's temporary suspension last year acknowledged the risk that German weapons could be used in violations of international law. Yet the subsequent lifting of restrictions—followed by a record export surge—demonstrates the primacy of geopolitical and commercial calculations over legal constraints. For Merz's government, the historical imperative to support Israel increasingly collides with contemporary realities, and so far, history is winning.
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