By TOI STAFF and AFP
Germany has secretly approved a Memorandum of Understanding with Israel for the construction of three dolphin type submarines that will be added to Israel’s fleet of six submarines despite an ongoing corruption investigation into the deal, Hebrew media reported on Friday.
Germany had held up the signing of the deal amid an ongoing and wide-ranging corruption investigation in Israel into a series of naval contracts signed between the two countries.According to the reports citing Israeli officials, over the past few weeks the text of the MOU was amended to include a paragraph saying it will not be advanced so long as the investigation continues. It also gives Germany the right to withdraw from the deal if any criminal activity is found, the Ynet news site reported.President Reuven Rivlin, on a recent visit to Germany, defined the submarines as an existential need for Israel.
While Germany stressed on Friday that an agreement had not been finalised and signed, Israeli officials implied it was a done deal.
“The Germans have given their approval to the deal,” an Israeli official familiar with the issue told AFP condition of anonymity.
Housing Minister Yoav Gallant, who was a senior commander in the Israeli navy, “welcomed the German approval” to allow the purchase of the three submarines.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/germany-approves-controversial-submarine-deal-with-israel/
