News / Palestine / Germany

German firm mulls relocation to US to evade ban on arms sales to Israel

Friday, 15 August 2025 7:05 AM [ Last Update: Friday, 15 August 2025 7:05 AM ]

Israeli soldiers perform maintenance tasks on a main battle tank positioned near the border with the Gaza Strip in south of the occupied territories on August 5, 2025. (Photo by AFP)

German military contractor Renk Group, which supplies tank components to Israel, has threatened to bypass the European country’s recent decision to impose an arms embargo on the occupying regime over its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.

The company’s CEO, Alexander Sagel, made the remarks in an interview with the Financial Times, days after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that his administration will not authorize "until further notice" any sale of military equipment that could be used in Israel’s Gaza onslaught.

Sagel said his company had a “responsibility” to ensure Israel can maintain its military capabilities.

He added that Renk was still trying to understand the consequences of Merz’s announcement, noting, however, that the firm was considering other ways of fulfilling its contracts if the ban was confirmed by Germany’s security council.

“It is also clear that we are discussing a plan B. The plan B is that we relocate production of these specific transmissions to the US,” he pointed out.

Asked about the morality of supplying weapons to the Tel Aviv regime, Sagel said it was “a difficult discussion”.

He further said Renk had a contract to provide Israel with “hundreds” of tank gearboxes.

Merz’s announcement was part of a wave of international backlash after the Israeli cabinet voted for an illegal plan to occupy Gaza City.

Germany to halt military exports to Israel over Gaza City occupation plan

Germany says it will suspend all military exports to Israel that could be used in Gaza.

The occupation plot was initiated and pushed by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid the brutal Gaza offensive that has killed at least 61,776 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 154,906 others since October 7, 2023.

Germany is Israel’s second-largest arms supplier after the United States, and since the Gaza genocide started, Berlin has exported €485 million ($564 million) worth of weapons to the usurping regime.

In late July, a poll by the Forsa opinion research institute found that 74 percent on Germans believe their government should apply more pressure on Israel over the catastrophic humanitarian situation caused by Israel’s bloody aggression against Gaza.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.ir