A commission of inquiry set up to shed light on Israel’s so-called submarine affair has found clear shortcomings in how arms deals were made, according to a summary of its conclusions published on Sunday.
Following accusations of a massive bribery scheme involving Israeli arms deals, the panel reviewed the procedures for acquiring military equipment such as German submarines and corvette warships for the Israeli navy.
“The commission found systemic failings that reach into the very core of the processes of building military capabilities and of decision-making in the procurement of armaments worth billions of shekels,” the summary said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came under fire for allegedly agreeing to the sale of sophisticated German-made submarines to Egypt without consulting Israel’s top security officials.
Netanyahu justified acting alone by saying that “the State of Israel has secrets known only to the prime minister and a handful of people,” the newspaper Haaretz reported.
In parallel with the commission, a court in Tel Aviv is dealing with the affair.
According to indictments, several people are alleged to have received bribes to advance the deals between Israel and Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS).
Among the defendants are confidants of Netanyahu, though not the prime minister himself.
The Israeli commission also examined Israel’s handling of the sale of submarines by its close ally Germany to Egypt.
It found “that the handling of the sale of armaments by allies to third countries — a strategically sensitive issue — was chaotic and without clear leadership, thereby endangering the security of the state.”
To prevent serious deficiencies in future, the commission recommended establishing a process to ensure that decisions relating to armaments are taken only after a hearing from experts.
Israel currently has five submarines from Germany, with a sixth still to be delivered. In 2022 Israel and Germany finalised a multi-billion dollar deal for the purchase of three more submarines of the new Dakar class.
Under the agreement at the time, the first of the boats, developed by TKMS in Germany, was to be delivered within nine years.
The sale of the submarines is controversial since experts say they can be equipped with nuclear weapons.
In June 2024, the commission had already sent warning letters to several decision-makers, including Netanyahu.
In response, he said the submarines were “a central basis of Israel’s national security and a guarantee of its existence against Iran, which wants to destroy us.”