Israel threatens to halt arms sales to Germany after Berlin stops weapon exports to Israel

On Friday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he would stop selling weapons to Israel after Netanyahu announced plans to take control of the Gaza Strip.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

In response to a move by Berlin on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to stop exports of weapons to Germany.

On Friday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he would stop selling weapons to Israel after Netanyahu announced plans to take control of the Gaza Strip.

The announcement was greeted with shock, since Germany is Israel’s second-largest arms supplier after the United States and one of its most reliable allies.

Netanyahu told i24 TV that European leaders were “surrendering to Islamic minorities” and perhaps had been persuaded by Hamas propaganda surrounding the war.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears to threaten to cut off Israeli arms exports to Germany in response to Berlin’s decision to suspend sales of weapons to Israel that could be used in Gaza.

The drastic decision by Israel’s second-largest arms supplier and one of its staunchest allies came after Israel announced plans to take over Gaza City last week.

Netanyahu told i24 TV that European leaders were “surrendering to Islamic minorities” and were being pressured by what he described as a false propaganda campaign about Israel’s actions.

“I think we have a relationship of mutual supply with Germany, and I don’t think they’ve forgotten that. So let this pass… they’re under pressure, you can’t stop the pictures, the lies,” Netanyahu said.

Last year, Israel completed a record-breaking sale, providing Germany with 4 billion euros ($4.67 billion) worth of anti-missile Arrow projectiles.

Merz announced last week that arms shipments to Israel would end “until further notice” and requested that Israel “comprehensively and sustainably improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.”

While Merz emphasized that Israel “has the right to defend itself against Hamas’s terror,” the intention to control Gaza caused his change of position.

Germany has stopped short of recognizing a Palestinian state, a gesture France, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom have said they intend to do at the United Nations in September.

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