Volkswagen plant in danger of closing: The solution may come from Israel
World press headlines: The Iranian UAV that "changed the face of modern warfare" relies on components from China and costs only about $20,000; in Germany, they are examining the production of parts for the Iron Dome at a Volkswagen plant that is in danger of closing; and in the US, the British organization Palestine Action has been declared a terrorist organization. Globes presents a daily short review of interesting news from the world media about Israel.
About the world press headlines
Against the backdrop of the constantly developing security situation, the lens of the world media reveals unique perspectives on what is happening in the country. From analyses by international experts and interpretations from a different angle to small stories from Israel that disappear from view - every day we will present you with a short daily review of what is written in the world media about Israel, to try and decipher how things from here look overseas.
The articles we present in the section are taken from major newspapers around the world and do not necessarily reflect the worldview of Globes.
1. The Iranian UAV that changed the face of the global battlefield, and its connection to China
The Wall Street Journal defines the Iranian-Russian "Shahed" as a weapon that "changed the face of modern warfare" and reviews its rapid development as a cheap weapon that has become central in the wars in Ukraine and the Persian Gulf.
According to the newspaper, all evidence points to the fact that China plays a critical role in the supply chain that turned the UAV into "one of the most revolutionary military innovations of the current era: cheap flying killing machines that hit the US and its allies." The latest Russian version of the "Shahed," which the Russians call GERAN-2, is equipped with turbo engines and flies at a speed of up to 500 km/h. The engines and parts needed for flight and navigation come from China, according to American intelligence, but Beijing denies this.
The production cost of the new generation of these UAVs is only about $20,000. According to the newspaper, its use proves how agile the distribution of weapons has become in the current era, and how international supply chains disguise the components used to build them. "Nowadays, any country that has an idea for a weapon - even just a medium power like Iran - can turn to suppliers of cheap parts, especially in China" for its construction, it is written.
Iran has already sold the knowledge needed to build Shahed-type UAVs to Syria, Venezuela, and Ethiopia, according to American intelligence. China and India have developed independent versions based on the Iranian development, which was in turn refined by Russia.
The article reviews the operation of the "Shahed" from the attack on Saudi oil fields in 2019 to the first time the UAV caused casualties: the attack on a container ship off the coast of Oman in July 2021. According to the review, Iranian engineers who apparently received the Israeli HARPY UAV as a trophy from Lebanon, drew inspiration from it and developed the Shahed.
2. In Germany they confirm: negotiations on the production of the Iron Dome at a Volkswagen plant
The automotive giant Volkswagen is in significant financial difficulties, and this week the company's CEO Oliver Blume is holding meetings at the company's plants across Germany to present his cutback plan to employees and meet with the committees. Against this background, the head of the state of Lower Saxony, where the Volkswagen plant is located in the city of Osnabrück, confirmed for the first time that talks are taking place on saving the plant through cooperation for military production.
"We are now examining if and in what form it is possible to consider participation in a potential future industrial solution for the Osnabrück site," said Olaf Lies this week according to a report in the local newspaper "Wolfsburger Allgemeine".
According to the report, the federal government will also take part in establishing a new partnership that will produce parts for the Iron Dome and other missile interception systems at the plant, and a memorandum of understanding has already been signed with the company "Rafael". "The talks are at an advanced stage," it was reported.
Representatives of the workers' committees on site also expressed optimism in the last day, according to the report, but do not name the Israeli government company and speak of a "future of continued production" at the plant, which produces convertible models for Volkswagen until the end of 2027 and is expected to close if an agreement is not signed. The involvement of the state and the federal government is supposed to solve image problems for Volkswagen, which hesitates to define itself as entering the arms production business. The Qatari investment fund, which owns 17% of Volkswagen shares, has also previously expressed opposition to direct cooperation.
3. The British "Palestine Action" was defined as a terrorist organization by the US
The British organization Palestine Action, whose members carried out dozens of violent protest actions against Israeli defense companies and British companies that they claim cooperate with Israel, was defined by the US as a "terrorist organization"; this is reported this morning (Thursday) by the BBC network. This is a radical left organization that was also defined as a terrorist organization in the United Kingdom in 2025.
The organization enjoys broad support among opponents of Israel in the British left, and thousands - including many celebrities - have expressed public support for it despite it being a criminal offense in the UK. The American definition determines that anyone who is linked to the organization will face a ban on entry to the US and the freezing of American assets.
About 2,000 Britons are still facing a possible trial for supporting the organization, depending on an expected decision by the UK Supreme Court on whether the government acted properly when it declared it a terrorist organization, as a previous court ruled. During one of the attacks by members of the organization, police officers were injured, and in Germany, a group from the organization is on trial for causing millions in damage to an "Elbit" plant in the city of Ulm.
