Borussia Dortmund profits from Gaza genocide through Rheinmetall deal

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News Websites
1 Jun 2024 17:55
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Borussia Dortmund signs a new partnership deal with arms manufacturer Rheinmetall, sparking backlash and accusations of complicity in the Gaza genocide.

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Players holding a banner to protest against Russia's war in Ukraine prior to the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Arminia Bielefeld in Dortmund, Germany, Sunday, March 13, 2022 (AP)

German football club Borussia Dortmund has signed a three-year sponsorship deal with German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall, igniting backlash due to the latter's provision of weapons to "Israel", used in the genocide in Gaza.

Rheinmetall is the fifth largest weapon manufacturer in Europe and has been supplying the Israeli occupation with arms and ammunition since October.

On October 10, just three days into the Israeli genocide in Gaza, Rheinmetall AG shares added 4.83%, Anadolu Agency reported. Last, month, a report by Action on Armed Violence revealed that Rheinmetall's involvement in the Israeli genocide in Gaza has doubled the price of its shares.

In November, Germany approved an Israeli request for 10,000 rounds of 120-millimeter tank gun ammunition manufactured and supplied by Rheinmetall to be used in Gaza.

The deal is estimated at 7 to 9 million euros per year and comes with heavy publicity including the display of the Rheinmetall logo on advertising boards, Dortmund's stadium, the Westfalenstadion, which hosts up to 83,000 people, and more.

According to BVB chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke, the deal came due to the football club and the arms company's shared values. "Security and defense are elementary pillars of our democracy, so we think it's the right decision to see how we can protect these pillars," he said, in a statement about taking responsibility.

Rheinmetall board chairman Armin Papperger commented on the deal saying that the company and Dortmund were similar in "ambitions, attitude and heritage."

Dortmund sells itself to profit genocide

The move launched a wave of criticism on social media, with fans sharing statements about how the deal disregards BVB's code of ethics, which commits to a society without racism, antisemitism, homophobia, sexism, violence, and discrimination."

One statement posted by Versus on X said "Dortmund are happy to have blood on their hands."

Weapons manufacturers have no place in football. @BVB pic.twitter.com/7ha9AZ2FQ2
— VERSUS (@vsrsus) May 31, 2024

Amnesty Germany's arms expert, Mathias John, told DW that Rheinmetall "wants to be mentioned not only in the context of weapons which injure and kill people, but also with more positive things."

"Football and sport are positive topics. People associate them with happiness and fair competition, and Rheinmetall wants a piece of that," he further added.

Moreover, debunking the shared value of "German defense", Mathias stated that Rheinmetall supplies weapons and arms through its subsidiaries across Europe, which may contribute to international law violations.

Dortmund's German-speaking fan blog, schwartzgelb.de, said the football club jeopardized its values for money.

Germany faces domestic lawsuit over arming 'Israel'

In March, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute's (SIPRI) annual study revealed that Germany supplied "Israel" with 30% of the latter's weapon stock since October 7.

In April, it was reported that Germany would face a new petition to cancel all arms supplies to "Israel" in a lawsuit that adds to the pressure on Berlin. A petition filed in German domestic courts will ask judges to swiftly instruct the government to withdraw all arms licenses provided to "Israel" since October 7.

Four human rights organizations filed the complaint on behalf of five identified Palestinians who reported their lives are in danger due to the collective punishment campaign by "Israel". They have lost family, homes, and employment as a result of the Israeli aggression.

The legal action is aimed at the Green Party-led Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, which governs export licenses under the Weapons of War Control Act.

The European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), one of the main litigants, expressed that “it is reasonable to believe that the German government is in violation of the arms trade treaty, the Geneva conventions and its obligations under the genocide convention – agreements that have been ratified by Germany."

The action, expected to be addressed in writing, would have the biggest practical impact on Germany's sale of 3,000 anti-tank missiles.

Wolfgang Kaleck, the ECCHR General Secretary, stated that "Germany cannot remain true to its values if it exports weapons to a war where serious violations of international humanitarian law are apparent.”