German Government Must Block Volkswagen-Rafael Agreement

Germany’s Volkswagen company has entered talks with Israel’s defense producer Rafael on retooling the VW plant at Osnabrueck for production of components of the Israeli missile defense system Iron Dome. The plant will stop automobile production in 2027. There are hints that this may also become part of planned German imports of Iron Dome technologies for its own missile defense build-up in the context of the country’s rearmament. The project is said to have the backing of the Government which should however oppose it, since it would draw Germany deep into the Israel-Iranian confrontation and turn the Osnabrueck site into a potential target of Iranian attacks.