German automobile giant Volkswagen is shifting gears from car manufacturing to help Israel with its missile defence production, sparking irony posts on its 'Nazi past'. The company is in talks with Israel's Rafael Advanced Defence Systems to make components for the Iron Dome air defence system.
The potential deal would see one of Europe's largest automakers convert its Osnabrück plant to make components for the advanced air defence system, including transport vehicles, launch units, and power generators.
The manufacturing is likely to begin in the next 12 to 18 months, once the agreement comes into force. Volkswagen already makes military trucks for German arms group Rheinmetall.
The tie-up would ensure the company saves jobs at the Germany plant amid falling profits as Chinese competition is rising along with a transition to electric vehicles.
Volkswagen's arms push has links to WW2, as the company has a few episodes where it went into arms manufacturing, including during the Nazi regime. The company later admitted to using forced labour for the manufacture of military goods and weapons at the Volkswagen plant.
Hitler is the ultimate villain for the Jews in particular, and VW's collabs in the Jewish country of Israel formed after WW2 did ignite online chatter on the purported irony.
