After a brief pause, Germany has decided to continue German arms deliveries to Israel in 2026. Despite declarations of a "partial suspension" of exports in 2025 and appeals to respect human rights, data published in May 2026 by the German Bundestag reveal the scale of Germany's involvement in sustaining Israel's military potential.
Between 1 November and 31 December 2025, the federal government approved the export of military products to Israel worth more than 103 million euros, and in the first quarter of 2026 a further 63.5 million euros. Although formally this does not concern so-called "war weapons" (Kriegswaffen), but rather so-called "armaments goods" (Rüstungsgüter), in conditions of intense conflict all components, specialised ammunition and logistics-support systems take on direct operational significance.
Germany, invoking its historical responsibility for the Holocaust, has for decades built a policy of "Staatsräson", which is the so-called incontestable security of Israel. This doctrine, in the face of evidence of disproportionate use of force and the blockade of humanitarian aid, is beginning to look like a tacit consent to actions that organisations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch classify as potential war crimes.
The German government consistently refuses to disclose in detail the nature of the approved deliveries, invoking "the interest of the state" and a 2014 ruling of the Federal Constitutional Court. In response to a parliamentary enquiry, it hides behind the protection of the recipient's rights, which in practice means that parliament and society do not know whether the systems delivered to Israel are not being used in operations in Gaza or the West Bank. International humanitarian law imposes on third states the obligation not to provide assistance in situations where there is a real risk of serious violations being committed. The data from 2026 show, however, that no real change of policy has taken place. The German government stresses that the export of classic war weapons has not been approved, but such rhetoric overlooks the fact that modern asymmetric conflicts rely largely on advanced support systems, electronics, precision ammunition and logistics, that is, precisely on those products and those categories that dominate German deliveries. At the same time, the Bundestag document contains information about a single collective dual-use licence worth 300,000 euros that also covers Israel, which shows how fluid the boundary is between the "civilian" and "military" application of technology.
The criticism does not concern only Germany. The entire European and Western arms industry profits from the conflict in Israel. However, Berlin, as one of the largest suppliers in Europe and a country with a special historical relationship with Israel, bears a particular responsibility. The continuation of exports in 2026, at a moment when the International Court of Justice in The Hague is examining accusations of genocide and the UN is sounding the alarm about hunger and disease in Gaza, undermines Germany's credibility as an actor promoting human rights and multilateralism. A government that in other contexts (for example towards Russia or China) loudly appeals for ethics in the arms trade, in the case of Israel applies double standards.
From the perspective of human rights and international ethics, the situation is obvious. Deliveries of arms to a state conducting military operations with a high number of civilian casualties carry the risk of complicity. Even if the equipment is not directly "used in Gaza"-something the German government is unable or unwilling to rule out-the general strengthening of Israel's military potential during a conflict is significant in character. The German arms industry, profiting from generous contracts with Israel, not only generates profits but also legitimises a policy whose humanitarian consequences are dramatic. In the longer term, such a stance weakens Germany's position in the global debate on arms-export controls and contributes to the erosion of the norms of international law.
