BERLIN
The new German federal government, a coalition of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany and the Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CDU/CSU) and Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), has authorized arms exports worth nearly €4 million to Israel in the first five weeks of its tenure.
According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, which responded to a parliamentary inquiry from Left Party Bundestag member Desiree Becker, German manufacturers were permitted to deliver arms valued at approximately €3.986 million between May 7 and June 10, 2025, Caliber.Az reports via German media.
The ministry specified that these approvals did not include military weapons. This figure marks a significant decrease compared to the previous government’s approvals, which surged following the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel in October 2023. At that time, the traffic light coalition and the subsequent red-green minority government authorised arms exports totalling almost half a billion euros. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, exports worth €28 million were approved, placing Israel tenth among Germany’s largest arms importers.
The continuation of arms exports to Israel comes amid international criticism of Israel’s military operations in the Gaza Strip.
