In the shadow of the war in the Gaza Strip, Germany has halted the export of security equipment to Israel. According to data obtained by Shomrim and Austrian magazine Profil, the value of German exports of offensive weapons – as opposed to defensive equipment, such as helmets or flak jackets – has plummeted from around 20 million euros in 2023 to just 32,000 euros in the first nine months of 2024. Unlike other countries in Europe, Germany has not officially announced the suspension of arms exports to Israel, but the figures revealed here show that, since the start of March, Berlin has not approved a single export license.

There has also been a dramatic drop in the quantity of German defensive equipment exported to Israel. In 2023, Israel’s import of defensive equipment totaled more than 300 million euros; thus far, this year’s total is around 14 million euros. It is important to note, however, that, because of the Gaza war, 2023 was an exceptional year in terms of German arms exports to Israel. An analysis of the data over the past 20 years, however, clearly shows (see table) that exports have reached a record low level – the lowest, in fact, since 2004.

Data obtained by Shomrim reveals that, despite no categorical decision to halt arms exports to Israel, the country has not approved a single such license in the past six months.

Germany is not alone among its European partners in taking such action against Israel. Since the outbreak of the war on October 7, several countries – including France, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands – have been suspending or canceling the exports of arms and components for various weapons systems to Israel. The United States also delayed the shipment of some weapons to Israel, notably a shipment of heavy bombs over the summer.

Berlin’s current handling of the issue, however, is a lot more dramatic and constitutes a notable change in Germany’s fundamental approach. Germany’s commitment to the existence and security of Israel has been a cornerstone of the country’s policies since the end of World War II and the Holocaust. In 2008, then German chancellor Angela Merkel explicitly said so in a historic address to the Knesset: “Germany’s special historical responsibility for Israel’s security (…) is part of my country’s raison d’être,” she said.

Germany lived up to Merkel’s promise even after she left office in 2021. Her successor, Olaf Scholz, was the first overseas leader to visit Israel after the October 7 massacre, vowing at the time to stand by Israel’s side. He made good on his promise almost immediately: in 2023, Germany sold the State of Israel military equipment worth 326 million euros, of which 20 million was for offensive equipment – most of which was transported to Israel in the days and weeks after the Hamas attack. This sum was significantly higher – around tenfold – than German arms exports to Israel in 2022.

Scholz continued to make public promises to Israel even after the IDF took control of the Rafah border crossing between Israel and Egypt – and despite the somewhat critical remarks that he made during his next visit to Israel in March. In July, for example, after the International Court of Justice in The Hague ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories is a violation of international law, he was asked about arms trade between Israel and Germany. “We have supplied weapons to Israel and we have not yet made any decision not to do so,” he said at a press conference. “But of course, we decide on a case-by-case basis,” he added. Notwithstanding these comments, the flow of German arms to Israel has, indeed, dried up.

Decisions on the export of arms and other military equipment are taken by Germany’s National Security Council, which is chaired by the chancellor, and which holds its discussions behind closed doors. Once approval for a deal is granted, the bureaucratic export process moves on to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and the Federal Foreign Office.

Several officials from German arms companies agreed to talk to Shomrim about the issue – but only on condition of anonymity. They present a similar narrative: In the past several months, it has become increasingly difficult for them to obtain licenses to export their products to Israel.

Data obtained by Shomrim reveals that, despite no categorical decision to halt arms exports to Israel, the country has not approved a single such license in the past six months. The figures appear in an official response from the German government to a parliamentary query submitted by a lawmaker and are correct as of the end of August.

An official with close knowledge of the workings of the National Security Council confirmed the figures to Shomrim, saying that “even if no one wants to say so publicly, our concerns about violations of human rights are the reason for the drop in the number of licenses issued.”

Several officials from German arms companies agreed to talk to Shomrim about the issue – but only on condition of anonymity. They present a similar narrative: In the past several months, it has become increasingly difficult for them to obtain licenses to export their products to Israel. One of them, who works in the aeronautical industry, said that his company’s requests to export various components are being stonewalled and bounced from official to official, without any decision being made.

In response to questions submitted to the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, a spokesperson referred Shomrim to the response it has already given the member of parliament, adding that: “Our government takes very seriously signs of violations of international law. Our government has made its expectations known in public and in closed-door discussions with Israel – that it must act in accordance with international law when fulfilling its right to self-defense.”

Chancellor Scholz’s office did not respond to a request for comment by the time this article was published.