BERLIN (Reuters) – German defense export approvals to Israel so far this year have risen nearly tenfold from last year, with Berlin treating permit requests as a priority since Hamas terrorists attacked Israel last month, a German government source said on Wednesday.
As of Nov. 2, the German government has approved the export of close to 303 million euros’ ($323 million) worth of defense equipment to Israel. By comparison, 32 million euros’ worth of defense exports were approved in all of 2022.
The majority of individual export permits – 185 out of 218 – were granted after the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
“Following the terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel, applications for the export of military equipment to Israel are being prioritized and approved by the federal government,” said the source.
Even with the increase, Israel accounts for a minor share of Germany’s military exports, which totaled 8.76 billion euros in the first nine months of 2023.
Germany primarily supplies Israel with components for air defense systems and communications equipment, according to the German press agency dpa, which first reported on the figures.
