After terrorist attacks
Fight against Hamas – Israel wants ammunition from Germany
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. photo
© Michael Kappeler/dpa
If Israel’s security is part of Germany’s raison d’état, Hamas’ major attack is now also a test of the will to provide defense assistance. Difficult questions arise.
The evening before, the Defense Ministry announced that Germany would return to Israel two Heron TP combat drones leased to the Bundeswehr for training purposes. On Thursday, Pistorius left no doubt about his determination to help: “We are on the side of the Israelis.”
The new information came practically overnight. On Wednesday, Pistorius said that there was no indication that Israel wanted to request weapons and equipment from partners such as Germany to fight against Hamas. He is in contact with his Israeli counterpart Joav Galant, and there is also a connection with the Israeli military attaché. “Both have said so far that they don’t need support of a military or technical nature. It’s about political support,” he said in Berlin after a meeting of the Defense Committee.
Germany should keep Israel’s back
In recent days, Israel has made it clear on several channels that Germany’s main expectation is to keep Israel’s back politically. Previous experience shows that an expected major offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip could very quickly produce dire images of civilian casualties.
The federal government is ready to send a strong signal that goes beyond words and wants to provide active help. Several federal governments have assured in the past that Israel’s security is part of Germany’s raison d’etre. What exactly this means and whether the Bundeswehr would also have to fight for Israel in the worst case remained unanswered for a long time and seemed to some to be an academic question. It also touches on the Germans’ primal fear of being involved in a war.
Seal off the Gaza Strip from the sea
In the past, Israel has used its navy to seal off the Gaza Strip from the sea. Ships can also use their firepower for military strikes against the Palestinian territory. Detected targets in the Gaza Strip are then attacked from three sides – land, air and sea.
The Israeli Navy has been equipped with ships from Germany in recent years, including four SA’AR-6 class corvettes that were ordered from ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS). The last of the approximately 90 meter long and 13 meter wide ships arrived in Haifa in 2021.
Israel stated that it wanted to use the patrol ships primarily to protect gas production platforms in the Mediterranean and is equipping the corvettes themselves with radar and weapon systems. In the past, Germany mainly delivered submarines to Israel and also promoted exports with tax money. There are now major projects going in the other direction: Germany is purchasing drones and air defense systems from Israel.
Extensive military aid to Israel may now come into competition with support for Ukraine. This applies all the more if a prolonged conflict calls for material beyond ammunition for sea-based systems. Despite production starting up, resources are still scarce and Germany started the new world situation with a billion-dollar deficit – keyword: the ammunition crisis.
USA remains the main supporter
The main supporter remains the USA. After Hamas’ massacres of Israeli civilians and the abduction of people into the Gaza Strip, Israel appeared unexpectedly defenseless, so the United States moved an aircraft carrier, warships and several fighter jets to the eastern Mediterranean. This is seen as a warning signal to Israel’s enemies.
At the same time, US President Joe Biden issued words of warning to Israeli military planners, who are clearly aiming to exercise care in preventing casualties among the Palestinian civilian population. Israel must act according to the rules of war, Biden said in a speech: “And there are rules of war.”