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 Osnabrück 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 Osnabrück site into a potential target of Iranian attacks.