The Deal With Israel’s Rafael: Why Is Volkswagen Returning to the Missile Business 81 Years After WWII?

The emerging deal between Volkswagen and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, under which Volkswagen will produce components for the Iron Dome system, stems from purely economic reasons, but it is also bursting with symbolism. Volkswagen, a company effectively founded by Adolf Hitler and which produced parts using forced labor for V-1 cruise missiles used by the Wehrmacht during World War II, may soon be manufacturing parts for an Israeli-designed missile defense system.