Israelis Want Warships For Free
Daddy, daddy, I know what I want for Chanukah!
What, my Jewish son?
Two warships!
Do you know how much they cost?
Nothing! I want them for freeeeeee!
Israel is hoping to order two modern German-made warships without paying for them, daily Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung reported on Friday.
Sources within the German government told the paper that Israel wants the Berlin to finance the MEKO corvettes, a sum that would reportedly reach hundreds of millions of euros. The paper reported that the government has not yet reacted to Israel’s request. But “influential politicians from northern Germany,” where the shipbuilding industry is suffering from the global economic downturn, are apparently supportive in the interest of keeping German shipyards in business.
The shipbuilding contract would go to Hamburg company Blohm + Voss, probably more famous for construction triumphs such as the Bismark. The internal weapons system would come from the United States, with the end result being a missile defence system on water.
Israeli naval forces have already received help from the German government. Between 1999 and 2000, three submarines completed by Kiel shipyard Howaldtswerken Deutsche Werft were delivered.
Meanwhile the government is reportedly paying for two-thirds of two more submarines with fuel-cell power plants priced at €500 million. They are currently under construction in Kiel with plans to deliver them to Israel in 2012.
Nice to have friends, eh?
Wow, Germany still has a shipbuilding industry . How did they manage that ?
Presumably by pulling stunts like this, Banned. What’s the betting there is a loophole in EU state subsidy legislation which can be exploited this way?
Graet let’s hope they get them. They won’t be free…..Israel stands as did Horatius at the bridge and is the last bastion of Western democratic values. That deserves payment.
Daieboy
Whilst its perfectly standard to arm your allies – the US have given Israel and Formosa/Taiwan missile technology they could never have developed on their own or trained their troops to help them against overwhelming odds – it’s the pure blatancy that is the story here.
At least in the UK we make overseas aid donations to fund orders for our arms industry (always a sound investment in troubled times) but what sheer chutzpah on both sides here to not even dance the standard diplomatic waltz. Imagine if BVT did this in the UK – there would be much wailing and gnashing of teeth from the public.