A German-Israeli agreement is intended to network ministries and authorities to counter drones, terrorism, cyberattacks and “disinformation.” German special forces will also take a leadership role in Gaza.
The conservative German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed on Sunday a “cyber and security pact”. It was announced already in the summer and is intended to give Germany new capabilities in various areas. These include the already initiated joint drone defence, the detection and countering of cyberattacks, the use of artificial intelligence against “disinformation,” as well as civil and population protection.
The pact builds on existing cooperation: just last month, Berlin approved an expansion of an agreement on the Arrow 3 missile defence system worth around €2.6 billion. It can intercept ballistic missiles even outside the atmosphere and will be stationed in Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt. The development of a German warning system with connected shelters is also intended to increase resilience in civil protection.
The agreement also provides for the establishment of a joint German-Israeli centre for cyber research. What equipment will be procured for a planned, partially automated “Cyber Dome” remains unclear, according to Dobrindt and Netanyahu. “Israel is one of our most important partners in the field of cybersecurity and will become our premium partner with this agreement,” Dobrindt said in Jerusalem.
Part of the agreement also includes Germany’s participation in the US-led Office of the Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority (OSC) in Jerusalem. Dobrindt announced that Germany will “take a leadership role there.” The institution, founded 20 years ago, is responsible, among other things, for training and advisory services. This brings Germany closer to its goal of training thousands of police officers and other “security forces” in Gaza. Until now, this has been carried out only for the police in the West Bank.
Furthermore, Germany’s very first special unit GSG 9 is to train “more closely” with the Israeli elite unit Yamam, reports the “Bild” newspaper published by Springer Verlag. Yamam is part of the Israeli Border Police and works closely with the military and intelligence services. Allegedly, Yamam members also carry out covert operations among the Arab population in Gaza or neighbouring countries.
The German leadership position in the OSC office will be taken by Olaf Lindner, formerly commander of the GSG 9 and now head of all special forces of the Federal Police. Lindner had already outlined the direction of cooperation at a security conference in Tel Aviv last autumn. In halting English, he said it would take place “in the fight against terrorism and especially in our mindset.” This is also planned for the intelligence services. According to Dobrindt – who is not officially responsible for this – it is to involve Mossad, responsible for foreign operations, and its German counterpart, the Federal Intelligence Service.
Dobrindt’s visit was accompanied by talks with Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar. Saar had announced on platform X the signing of a joint declaration on cooperation also to combat antisemitism. At the same time, Saar again demanded that it is “now time” to classify Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organisation within the European Union. “Iran and its allies – Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis – threaten not only Israel but also regional stability and international security,” said the Israeli head of government, wanted under an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court.
Published in German in „nd“.
Image: German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, wanted under an arrest warrant, in his office in Jerusalem (Laurin Schmid/BMI).
