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Germany’s Left Party opposes Volkswagen-Rafael defense production plan
Germany’s Left Party has opposed Volkswagen’s plan to open its Osnabrück plant to military equipment production with Israeli state-owned Rafael. Lower Saxony could invest at least €200 million in the project, while Volkswagen’s supervisory board is expected to discuss it on September 4.
Germany’s Left Party has objected to Volkswagen’s plan to use its plant in Osnabrück for military equipment production with Israeli state-owned Rafael.
Thomas Gross, the Left Party’s candidate in next month’s Osnabrück mayoral election, criticized the administration’s controversial proposal and the uncertainty surrounding the future of thousands of people working at the plant.
Gaza and Osnabrück’s legacy of peace
Gross said the planned cooperation with an Israeli state-owned company was incompatible with Osnabrück’s identity as a “City of Peace.” He highlighted the city’s historical legacy, noting that it was the birthplace of the 1648 Peace of Westphalia, which laid the foundations of modern international law.
Gross argued that the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was responsible for numerous war crimes in Gaza and said international human rights organizations had assessed these actions as genocide.
Call for civilian production and minibuses
The Left Party candidate said civilian production in Osnabrück should continue without the plant being converted into a defense facility. Gross said they supported a proposal to manufacture minibuses at the plant, which are urgently needed for public transportation in rural areas.
Gross also said that climate protection and efforts to adapt to climate change were more urgent than transferring billions of euros to military capacity.
Partnership option for Rafael
Volkswagen, the state of Lower Saxony and Rafael are nearing an agreement to produce military equipment. Under one of the proposed models, Volkswagen would transfer parts of the plant to Lower Saxony, which would then establish a joint venture with Rafael.
Lower Saxony could invest at least €200 million in the project. Volkswagen’s supervisory board is expected to discuss the matter on September 4.
Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund, Volkswagen’s third-largest shareholder, vetoed an earlier draft of the defense partnership in July. The new model aims to overcome Qatar’s objections by eliminating direct cooperation between Volkswagen and Rafael.
Car production to end after 2027
Car production at the Osnabrück plant is planned to end after 2027. Volkswagen had previously confirmed that it was in talks with several defense companies about the facility.
Volkswagen Chief Executive Oliver Blume had said that any possible involvement by the company would be limited to military transport vehicles rather than weapons.
The talks with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems focus on producing support components for the Iron Dome missile defense system, including heavy transport trucks, launch units and power generators.
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