German Left Party Vows Fight Over VW Plant's Arms Pivot
"We will stand against this development politically and publicly," said Thorben Peters, co-chair of the party in Lower Saxony state.
"We demand full transparency about the agreements, oppose the shift from civilian industry to arms production, and will work with employees and unions to advance a civilian industrial policy."
Volkswagen announced in early September that it was selling its Osnabruck plant to the state of Lower Saxony and Tel Aviv-based investor Aurelius Capital. A first project with Israel's Rafael defense company was named as the site's initial industrial anchor.
The Left Party disputes Volkswagen's argument that selling the plant and moving it into defense production was the only way to protect jobs.
"Employees are being told they have to choose between unemployment and arms production. We do not accept that false alternative.
"Good industrial policy creates civilian jobs. It does not make peace depend on the next arms order."
Months of protest over the plan
Volkswagen confirmed in March that it was in talks with several defense contractors about the Osnabruck site, after deciding to end car production there by summer 2027. The prospect of working with Israel's state-owned defense firm triggered months of protest from local peace groups, opposition politicians and parts of the labor movement.
German media reported that in July, Qatar's sovereign wealth fund, Volkswagen's third-largest shareholder, blocked the original proposal. Management then put forward a restructured ownership model that removed the carmaker from a direct partnership with Rafael.
Under the September terms, Aurelius would hold a majority stake and Lower Saxony a minority stake. Rafael would stay on as industrial partner, not as buyer.
Peters called the arrangement "especially problematic," noting that Rafael is a central supplier to the Israeli armed forces.
"Against the background of serious accusations of war crimes and other violations of international humanitarian law against the Israeli government and its military conduct in the Gaza Strip, this partnership sends a devastating political signal," he said.
International courts and the UN have opened proceedings over the war in Gaza. Gaza's Health Ministry, whose figures the UN also cites, says more than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed, including more than 32,000 women and children. The International Court of Justice is hearing a genocide case brought by South Africa against Israel. In 2024, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Peters warned that Lower Saxony should not enter a joint enterprise with a state-owned Israeli arms company while those allegations stand.
"Anyone who binds themselves so closely, politically and economically, to a company that equips the Israeli armed forces also bears political responsibility for that," he said.
Peace groups push back
According to local media, the project involves building support components for the Iron Dome missile defense system.
Activists say the move clashes with Osnabruck's "City of Peace" identity, which stems from its role in the 1648 Peace of Westphalia, the agreements that ended the Thirty Years' War and helped shape modern international law.
Among the loudest opponents is Action Outcry – Stop the Arms Trade. Coordinator Andreas Seifert told Anadolu the group opposes all German arms exports and rejects shipments to crisis regions or to states accused of human rights violations.
"In our view, the transformation of the Volkswagen plant in Osnabruck from a civilian automotive factory into an arms manufacturing facility must be rejected, as it will foreseeably lead to involvement in the export of military goods," he said.
"This is not a sustainable model for the plant or the city."
Seifert said the group also objects to the choice of partner.
"We are also deeply concerned that the chosen partner for this project, the Israeli defense company Rafael, supplies weapons and military equipment for Israel's war in Gaza," he said.
He added that the group has long argued that arms deliveries to Israel during the Gaza war, the occupation of the West Bank and the war with Iran breach Germany's international obligations and its own arms-export restrictions.
Seifert also criticized the use of public money for the project.
"In our view, Germany's share of responsibility for the crimes committed by the Israeli military (IDF) in Gaza must be clarified, and appropriate consequences must follow," he said.
"Given these considerations, partnering with an Israeli arms company — and supporting it with state funds — is simply unacceptable."
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