"Run Silent.....Run Deep" - Berlin Silent on Report of U-Boat Sale to Egypt

"Run Silent.....Run Deep" - Berlin Silent on Report of U-Boat Sale to Egypt.(Spiegel).The German government on Monday reaffirmed its commitment to Israel after media reports said relations between the two countries had been damaged by an unconfirmed deal to supply Egypt with two German-made submarines.
A German government spokesman declined to comment on an article which appeared in the Egyptian daily Al-Ahram last Friday and cited the commander-in-chief of the Egyptian navy, Osama al-Gindi, as saying: "We have agreed to a deal with Germany to procure two submarines of the latest 209 Class." On Monday, Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman said only: "There has been no change in the German government's position towards Israel, in the commitment the German government feels towards Israel's security." But he declined to comment on the supposed deal, saying the government maintained secrecy concerning matters dealt with by the Federal Security Council, a government committee that decides on sensitive weapons export deals. According to Jediot Achronot newspaper, Israel is worried that its navy may fall behind if Egypt gets modern German submarines. A German weapons sale to Egypt could be seen in Israel as running counter to Germany's commitment to protecting the state of Israel -- a cornerstone of German foreign policy due to the Holocaust. Germany has supplied Israel with three "Dolphin" class submarines and the total is expected to reach six by 2017. According to information obtained by SPIEGEL, Merkel made major concessions to Israel, taking over a third of the costs and giving Israel until 2015 to pay its share.Read the full story here.