Rheinmetall
Rheinmetall AG, Germany's largest weapons manufacturer and consistently among the world's top 30 arms producers, is on the BDS divestment shortlist and has been targeted by nationwide protests across Germany. The company produces artillery ammunition and tank shells supplied to the Israeli Occupational Forces for use in its genocide on Gaza and maintains extensive partnerships with Israel's three largest weapons manufacturers: Elbit Systems, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). Rheinmetall's corporate website declares that it is "fully committed to the Jewish state's right to exist" which reflect their on going policy to support ethno-nationalism, Zionism, apartheid, and genocide.
Arming the Israeli Occupation
In November 2023, weeks into Israel's genocidal assault on Gaza, the Israeli government made an urgent request to Germany for 10,000 rounds of 120mm tank ammunition manufactured by Rheinmetall. The German government approved the request and granted an export permit to Rheinmetall.
Rheinmetall manufactures 155mm shells were dropped on the densely populated Strip and are used directly against the Palestinian population.
Israeli war industry partnerships
Rheinmetall holds a 40% stake in EuroSpike GmbH, a joint venture with Israel's state-owned Rafael Advanced Defense Systems (20%) and Diehl Defence (40%). EuroSpike produces European variants of Rafael's Spike anti-tank missiles and has supplied them to at least 14 European countries.
With Elbit Systems, Rheinmetall has been jointly developing an automated 155mm howitzer, based on a version used by the IOF. The companies are marketing it to Germany, the UK, Hungary, and other European clients. Rheinmetall Canada has a separate agreement with Elbit to bid on a Fire Modernization project, incorporating Elbit's Torch system originally developed for the IOF.
Since 2021, Rheinmetall has collaborated with Israeli company UVision to produce suicide drones for the European market. Rheinmetall markets these drones as "based on extensive field experience and tested in combat." As of 2025, eight European countries have ordered HERO drones.
With Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), a state-owned Israeli arms manufacturer, Rheinmetall has collaborated since 2007 on suicide drones and since 2015 on radar systems originally developed for Israel's Iron Dome missile war system.
In at least two cases, Spain and Slovenia, Rheinmetall's involvement allowed these countries to circumvent their arms embargoes on Israel and continue purchasing Israeli weapons through Rheinmetall as an intermediary.
F-35 warplane production
In 2023, Rheinmetall was subcontracted by Northrop Grumman to produce the F-35 fighter parts. Rheinmetall built a dedicated factory in Weeze, Germany. Israel has ordered 75 F-35 jets and has used them in operations over Gaza since 2021.
Sources:
- AFSC Investigate Rheinmetall AG
- BDS-Kampagne Bundesweite Aktion vor Rheinmetall Standorten
- Israel Defense Report: Germany to Supply 10,000 120 Tank Shells to Israel
- Mondoweiss Germany’s declaration to stop sending weapons to Israel: symbolic gesture or major shift?
- Rheinmetall Loitering munitions – HERO
- Workers in Palestine Who Arms Israel?
- BDS Movement Guide to BDS Boycott & Pressure Corporate Priority Targeting