Germany, Israel Deepen Strategic Ties With Security Declaration and Expanded Arrow Defense Deal

Germany’s Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are scheduled to sign a declaration in Jerusalem formalizing expanded cooperation on security, cybersecurity, and the fight against antisemitism, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Sunday.

Sa’ar described Dobrindt as a “dear friend and dear friend of Israel.” During a meeting with the German minister, Sa’ar said he urged Berlin to advance the designation of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization within the European Union. “Now is the time to designate Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization within the European Union,” Sa’ar wrote. “This has long been Germany’s position, and today the importance of this matter is clear to all,” he added, citing reports of hundreds killed in Iran during a security crackdown on protesters.

Germany is widely seen as Israel’s most reliable ally within the European Union, a position that stands out as tensions grow between Israel and several other EU countries. In recent months, states such as France and Spain have accused Israel of violating international law during the war in Gaza and moved to impose punitive measures, including arms restrictions and trade bans on Israeli products from Judea and Samaria, eastern Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights. At the same time, several EU governments have said they would enforce an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he were to enter their territory.

Against that backdrop, Berlin has continued to deepen strategic cooperation with Jerusalem, most notably in the defense area. On Sunday, Germany and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) signed a $3.1 billion contract expanding Germany’s procurement of Israel’s Arrow 3 missile defense system. The agreement follows approval by the German Bundestag on December 17 and brings the combined value of Germany’s Arrow purchases to more than $6.5 billion, making it the largest defense export deal in Israel’s history.

The expansion comes roughly one month after the first Arrow 3 battery supplied by Israel was formally deployed at a ceremony at Holzdorf Air Force Base in eastern Germany. As part of the new agreement, Israel’s Defense Ministry said it and Germany’s Defense Ministry have agreed to significantly increase the production rate of Arrow 3 interceptors and launchers, substantially enhancing Germany’s air and missile defense capabilities.

Israeli defense officials framed the deal as a milestone in bilateral relations. Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Baram, director general of the Defense Ministry, said the expansion “represents another significant milestone in our deepening strategic partnership with Germany, our key European ally,” adding that the agreement reflects Israel’s strategy to expand defense exports while strengthening its domestic defense industry.

IAI President and CEO Boaz Levy said Germany’s follow-on procurement was driven by operational performance and trust. “The mutual trust, advanced technological capabilities, and adherence to timelines all led the German government to approve the follow-on procurement,” Levy said.

German officials have suggested the move could have broader implications for Europe. Col. Dennis Kruger, commander of German air defense forces, said earlier that Berlin’s deployment of Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 could pave the way for additional European countries to acquire the system, adding that Germany is “moving in first and setting a good example.”