Speaking during a visit to Berlin, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar suggested that a joint weapons production initiative with Germany is feasible. According to Saar, collaboration could potentially lead to co-producing certain types of weaponry, stating that “the possibilities are unlimited between friends”.
Saar recalled that Israel recently delivered the Arrow 3 missile defense system to Germany, noting that this happened “even though we are at war and we could have used it ourselves” emphasizing that Israel continues to supply even when under pressure. When asked if the temporary suspension of German arms shipments to Israel by Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) the previous year remained a topic of conversation, Saar replied that the discussion had shifted to the present and the future. He added, “But yes, something like that should not happen between friends”.
The minister declined to commit to how long the currently paused fighting in the Gaza Strip or the Israel-USA conflict against Iran might last, stating that Israel is “prepared for any situation”. Regarding the region’s diplomacy, Saar commented that Israel supports “the diplomatic efforts of US President Trump” specifying that key demands include Iran eliminating all enriched material from the country and agreeing never to enrich uranium on Iranian soil. However, he added that he currently sees no signs of such readiness.
Amid the tense geopolitical environment, Saar criticized what he perceives as a lack of geopolitical foresight in Europe. He noted that Iran poses a danger not only to Israel’s existence, pointing out that many Arab states, particularly the Gulf states, have clearly recognized this threat.
Turning to bilateral relations, Saar described ties with the United Arab Emirates as “excellent”. He explained that when the UAE began exchanging school books and stopped inciting hatred against Jews, Israel knew they were serious about achieving peace. Of all the peace agreements in the region, Saar stated that the UAE is the one closest to “full normalization”-not only between the governments but also at the level of the people-calling it a great achievement.
