Genocide and massacre did not diminish Germany’s relations with the Zionist regime.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited the occupied territories for the first time since taking office in May.
The visit comes just days after Germany decided to lift a three-month suspension of arms exports to Israel, which it said could be used in the Gaza Strip, according to Al Jazeera.
Meretz, who has said he does not consider Israel’s actions in Gaza to be genocide, met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss bilateral relations, the Gaza ceasefire, and other issues.
Germany is Israel’s second-largest arms supplier and fifth-largest export partner after the United States, and has long been one of the regime’s strongest supporters.
German arms sales to Israel
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), between 2019 and 2023, the United States was Israel’s largest arms supplier, supplying 69 percent of military equipment, while Germany was the second largest supplier, supplying about 30 percent. Together, the two countries account for 99 percent of Israel’s arms imports.
In 2023, the German government issued 308 military export licenses to Israel worth 326.5 million euros ($380 million), a tenfold increase from 32.3 million euros ($38 million) in 2022.
Since 2003, Germany has sold Israel 3.3 billion euros ($3.8 billion) worth of weapons, mostly naval equipment, including the Saar 6 frigates used in the Gaza offensive and the naval blockade.
In addition, Germany has sold a wide range of smaller munitions; the German-made Matador portable missile launcher has been in use by the Israeli military since 2009, as well as missiles and engines for tanks and other armored vehicles.
On December 3, Bloomberg reported that Israel would deliver the Arrow 3 long-range anti-ballistic missile defense system to Germany. The transfer would give Germany independent access to this advanced military asset and mark the country’s first major acquisition since a reassessment of its defense capabilities following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022.
The agreement, signed a little over two years ago and the largest defense export contract in the history of the Zionist regime, is worth more than 3.6 billion euros ($4.2 billion) and includes launch systems, ammunition and radar.