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After Merkel’s visit, Israel still waiting on submarine deal

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett tried to persuade outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel to finalize the deal for the IDF to purchase three next-generation submarines.
RONEN ZVULUN/AFP via Getty Images

The so-called “submarine affair,” considered the most serious case of suspected corruption in Israeli history, has been dogging defense agencies, politicians and public discourse since it broke out in 2016. The case involves three advanced Dolphin-class submarines that Israel seeks to acquire from Germany to add to its fleet of six similar subs. These vessels reportedly constitute an insurance policy of sorts against a potential Iranian nuclear attack, armed as they are with nuclear ballistic missiles that can be launched from a great distance at sea. Such an option would provide Israel with an offshore second-strike capability and ensure its dominance in terms of nuclear deterrence.

Five years later, the deal has yet to be signed. Egypt bought submarines from the same German manufacturer (ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems) in 2014, with a green light from then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to German Chancellor Angela Merkel. But while Egypt has already received two vessels, Israel has received none.

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