Quote:
Originally Posted by MH
I don't believe so.
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It became clear that Israel would not change its' settlement policy in Jerusalem (even less so when considering that the new blocks that Germany complained about are located in a part of Jerusalem that would fall to Israel anyway if that controversial deal the Europeans expect Israel to accept, would become a valid treaty), which was the major object of German criticism. Building that boat, with over a third of the price payed by the German state/tax payer, means plenty of jobs being maintained, and so that "symbolic" act by the Israelis may have served as an opportunity to escape a deadlock.
Also, this year saw German arms sales going booming. The government has silently eased many former restrictions for military goods. This year's arms sales by Germany hit an all-time record. It is seen as a fundamental, drastic change in Germany's arms and military platforms sales policies.