‘Work for peace, not war’: German activists to rally against Volkswagen’s potential defense deal with Israel

German peace activists are organizing an Easter weekend rally to protest Volkswagen's plans to work with Israel's Rafael to produce missile-system components at its Osnabruck plant.

Organizers say the plans amount to a dangerous militarization of the automotive sector and a betrayal of Osnabruck's legacy as the birthplace of the 1648 Peace of Westphalia, which helped lay the foundations of modern international law.

"There is already a militarization of the economy taking place in the region and we want to counter this," Marie Dominique Guyard, spokesperson for the Osnabruck Peace Initiative, told Anadolu."There are enough alternatives for civilian products, and we want Volkswagen in Osnabruck to work for peace, not for war."

The group plans to demonstrate during the traditional Easter peace march on April 4, followed by a rally and city walk.

Guyard highlighted Osnabruck's peace legacy, warning that a shift by Volkswagen toward military production would be significant.

"Our city is very proud of this history, and it would be catastrophic if one of the city's most prominent companies were owned by an arms company or worked entirely for one," she said.

- Plant's future uncertain after 2027

Volkswagen has confirmed it is in talks with several defense companies, including missile-defense specialists, about potential future uses for the Osnabruck facility, where car production is set to end after 2027.

CEO Oliver Blume said any involvement would be limited to military transport vehicles, the company's core competence, ruling out work on weapons systems.

According to the Financial Times, talks with Israel's state-owned Rafael Advanced Defense Systems focus on producing support components for the Iron Dome, such as heavy-duty transport trucks, launch units and power generators.

Roughly 2,300 jobs at the plant are at risk if no new production line is secured, amid broader pressures on Germany's auto industry from the shift to electric vehicles and competition from Chinese manufacturers.

- Nazi-era legacy fuels anti-weapons protests

Critics, including former Volkswagen workers, argue the company bears a historical responsibility.

Stephan Krull, a former employee and labor rights advocate, pointed to Volkswagen's founding under the Nazi regime and its role in wartime arms production.

"For historical reasons, Volkswagen should not produce arms," Krull told Anadolu.

Krull warned that, despite the management's claim that entering military production would save jobs at the plant, a selection process would likely follow because not all workers would be deemed suitable for defense-industry roles.

He added that security screening by authorities would further reduce the workforce.

Ultimately, he said, fewer than half of the current jobs would remain.

- 'Betrayal of ideals'

Lotte Herzberg of the local Zukunftswerk Osnabruck initiative, which opposes transition to military manufacturing, said many residents and employees are joining protests and political advocacy.

"We consider a shift toward the arms industry at Volkswagen to be disastrous," she told Anadolu.

"Considering Osnabruk's unique historical significance, this looming shift sends a catastrophic message: an international arms industry operating out of the City of Peace -- that's a complete betrayal of its ideals."

Herzberg said that although Germany's auto industry is in crisis, there are viable alternatives.

"The current crisis in the automotive industry could also be used as an opportunity for a socio-ecological transformation," she said.

"Minibuses have already been built at the Osnabruck plant; this production line and other vehicle models for local public transportation provide meaningful work. Let's stop pitting jobs against a livable future."

Herzberg also criticized the German government's push to raise defense spending, arguing that it is pouring billions into the arms industry while cutting social programs and weakening welfare-state protections.

"In Germany, as in many parts of the world, a comprehensive militarization of society is currently underway ," she said.

"Industrial sites and infrastructure are being converted, hospitals are being trained for wartime scenarios, and preparations are being made for the reintroduction of conscription."

Herzberg said peace initiatives and anti-militarization groups in Osnabruck will step up demonstrations in the coming weeks, aiming to increase pressure on politicians and Volkswagen's management to abandon any shift toward military production.