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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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
In parallel with the commission, a court in Tel Aviv is dealing with the affair.<\/p>\n
According to indictments, several people are alleged to have received bribes to advance the deals between Israel and Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS).<\/p>\n
Among the defendants are confidants of Netanyahu, though not the prime minister himself.<\/p>\n
The Israeli commission also examined Israel\u2019s handling of the sale of submarines by its close ally Germany to Egypt.<\/p>\n
It found “that the handling of the sale of armaments by allies to third countries \u2014 a strategically sensitive issue \u2014 was chaotic and without clear leadership, thereby endangering the security of the state.”<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Under the agreement at the time, the first of the boats, developed by TKMS in Germany, was to be delivered within nine years.<\/p>\n
The sale of the submarines is controversial since experts say they can be equipped with nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n
In June 2024, the commission had already sent warning letters to several decision-makers, including Netanyahu.<\/p>\n
In response, he said the submarines were “a central basis of Israel\u2019s national security and a guarantee of its existence against Iran, which wants to destroy us.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n