The ‘Cyber Dome’

‘Incredibly close’

With its plans for close cooperation on cyberwarfare Berlin can build on a long tradition of intensive collaboration between the German Armed Forces and the IDF. It began back in the 1950s with secret meetings to arrange German arms supplies. Military cooperation expanded significantly in the 1980s, and even more so in the 1990s.[1] On the German side, one objective was to benefit from the operational experience of the IDF for the planned reshaping of the Bundeswehr into an intervention force with global reach. German soldiers were trained in Israel in, among other things, house-to-house and tunnel combat. The Bundeswehr itself describes its cooperation with the IDF as “incredibly close”.[2] Alongside this alliance, the arms industries of the two countries have pursued increasingly close partnerships. One outcome was the first Heron 1 drones, leased by the Bundeswehr for deployment in Afghanistan from 2010 and produced by a consortium consisting of IAI (Israel Aerospace Industries) and Germany’s Rheinmetall Group.[3] And, in 2022, the decision was taken to procure Israeli Arrow 3 missile system for the planned European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI).[4] Israel’s ‘Iron Dome’ missile defence system, now shown to be vulnerable, was widely cited as a model for the ESSI.

Warfare with AI

With its new plans for a “cyber dome” the German government is now seeking to draw on Israel’s cyberwarfare capabilities, which are considered outstanding worldwide. A well-known hub of expertise is Unit 8200, an IDF section working under the Military Intelligence Directorate, known as Aman, and specialising in electronic reconnaissance and cyber operations of all kinds. Unit 8200 is closely linked to the Israeli cyber industry, not least because its members often move to private companies in the sector after completing their army service. According to consistent reports, it is involved in a wide variety of operations, from surveillance of individuals to support for military operations. In periods of war it is closely integrated into the IDF military headquarters. One of its commanders confirmed last year that Unit 8200 uses artificial intelligence (AI) to select human targets in the Gaza war, which are then attacked by IDF forces.[5] AI has also played a very important role for the Israelis in the war against Iran (german-foreign-policy.com reported [6]). Stuxnet, a computer virus used fifteen years ago to sabotage Iran’s nuclear programme, has also gained notoriety.[7]

Security pact with Israel

Hoping to tap into Israeli capabilities, the German Interior Minister, Alexander Dobrindt, announced a “cyber and security pact” with Israel during a visit to the country at the weekend. He specified “five points” on which cooperation is to be expanded. The first of these is closer “cooperation in cyberdefence”, a field in which Israel has gained extensive experience in the context of its multiple conflicts with neighbouring states in the Middle East. No mention is made here of how far offence rather than defence is part of this cooperation. After all, these capabilities have included the killing and maiming of pager users in Lebanon. Thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies were rigged with explosives and triggered by Mossad, despite the booby-trapping of civilian devices being prohibited under international law.[8] Secondly, a joint German-Israeli cyber research centre is to be established. Thirdly, work will proceed on strengthening Germany’s capabilities in drone defence. Fourthly, the civil protection and warning systems for the German population in the event of war are be upgraded. And finally, the “five-point plan” provides for closer “cooperation between the intelligence services ... and security authorities”. The BND and Mossad are explicitly mentioned. According to Dobrindt, the ‘Cyber Dome’ project is intended to increase not only “military” but also “overall defence capabilities”.[9]

‘It’s a killing field’

The announcement of the plans for the ‘Cyber Dome’ comes shortly after the publication of a report on alleged renewed serious war crimes by the IDF in the Gaza war. According to the report, since the opening of the internationally criticised Israeli-backed US aid distribution centres, Israeli soldiers have deliberately fired on unarmed civilians people arriving and waiting at the centres before and after distribution times. The IDF  have sought to justify the targeting by the need to disperse crowds. According to information from the Ministry of Health in Gaza, which is generally considered reliable, 549 people have been killed near the distribution centres since the end of May, and more than 4,000 have been injured, some seriously.[10] The daily newspaper Haaretz quotes a soldier deployed near the distribution centres as saying, “It’s a killing field.” At the location where he was deployed, “between one and five people were murdered every day.” None of the normal security measures for controlling large crowds, including the use of tear gas, were taken. Rather, every conceivable deadly weapon was fired at hungry and desperate people: “heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, mortars.” IDF soldiers were, he noted, in no danger whatsoever: “I can’t remember a single case where the fire was returned.”[11] There was “no enemy” at those locations, and “no weapons.”

Mutual support

Berlin remains silent on this issue, as usual. The imminent inclusion of a new cyberwarfare and intelligence component into an already intensive military and armaments partnership will amount to a full-spectrum German-Israeli alliance for repression and military strength. It is a relationship that will demand exceptionally close mutual support and preclude any serious criticism of the other side. What is more, the formation of such an alliance provides a pointer to just why the German government has been exercising unprecedented repression not only against any support for Palestinian causes but also against any criticism of the Israeli government’s policies (german-foreign-policy.com reported [12]).

[1] See: ‘In Germany’s national interest’ (III).

[2] “Ich möchte mit keinem tauschen.” bundeswehr.de 21.10.2021.

[3] See: Die Ära der Drohnen (I).

[4] See: Auf Kosten Frankreichs.

[5] What is Israel’s secretive cyber warfare Unit 8200? reuters.com 18.09.2024.

[6] See: Krieg als Schlacht zwischen Industrien.

[7] See: Die Handlungsfreiheit des Westens.

[8] See: German dilemmas.

[9] Filipp Piatov, Eyal Warshavsky: Dobrindt will „Cyber Dome” für Deutschland. bild.de 29.06.2025.

[10], [11] Nir Hasson, Yaniv Kubovich, Bar Peleg: ‘It’s a Killing Field’: IDF Soldiers Ordered to Shoot Deliberately at Unarmed Gazans Waiting for Humanitarian Aid. haaretz.com 27.06.2025.

[12] See: „Aus dem Drehbuch der extremen Rechten“.