Germany may cancel sale of 6th submarine to Israel
YNet reports that German Chancellor Angela Merkel is so angry over Israeli plans to build in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo that Israel's contract for a sixth Dolphin class submarine is in jeopardy. Germany is "reconsidering" its decision to sell Israel a sixth Dolphin class submarine, Yedioth Ahronoth reported on Wednesday.You will recall that the 6th Dolphin was a bribe to prevent Israel from protesting too loudly against German trade with Iran. If Germany now cancels the deal, Israel is not without weapons to fight back. The fact that the successor to the Third Reich maintains $4 billion in annual trade with Iran doesn't exactly look pretty and can be exploited. Germany is Iran's top trading partner and has pointedly refused to do anything to change that situation. They seem to be downright infatuated with the Iranians.
According to the report, the move was prompted by the tensions between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Merkel's frustration over the new housing plans approved in east Jerusalem.
Top political sources said that Merkel was irked with Netanyahu, who "gave her the impression that he would be willing to suspend settlement expansion in order to push the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks."
Israel's recent approval of 1,100 housing units in the Gilo neighborhood in Jerusalem led Merkel to announce that Netanyahu "cannot be taken seriously and has no intention of complying with the basic terms needed to renew the negotiations with the Palestinian."
Merkel and Netanyahu shared strident words following the decisions, and relations between Jerusalem and Berlin have been strained since.
Defense officials expressed concern over Berlin's intention to suspend and possibly cancel the submarine sale: According to foreign media reports, the new Dolphin was slated to join Israel strategic fleet.
Earlier in 2011, Germany announced that it would grant Israel a €135 million aid package to build its sixth submarine. German funding has been a significant part in the creation of the Israeli Navy's submarine crops.
The Navy currently has three Dolphin class submarines, and is expected to receive two new ones, currently under construction in Germany. According to foreign media sources, the new submarines will be equipped to carry nuclear warheads.
And the 'Palestinians.' What could go wrong?
Labels: Angela Merkel, Dolphin class submarines, Gilo, Jerusalem construction, Jerusalem is the capital of Israel
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:23 PM
4 Comments:
I miss the days when Israel had a " Jewish" PM . There was only one - Menachem Begin. Begin wouldn't hesitate to play the nazi card on merkel. Unfortunately all the rest have been goy c'hal goyim types .
What was the point of a "Jewish " state if it's culturally not only goyish but an amalgam of eurotrash/ American low brow culture?
As the Eurozone totters on the brink of financial self-immolation, Germany's geo-financial-political decision-making capacity is under stress. But Israel cannot tie its own strategic considerations to the capricious whims of this truculent ditz.
Daniel, from a shallow (low brow?) perspective, the knowledge that there is a whole country running on the Jewish calendar is a breath of fresh air.
Daniel-if there was a Jewish PM-what about Golda Meir?
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