The lead candidate for Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Saxony-Anhalt, Ulrich Siegmund, has tied a potential Israeli arms manufacturer’s arrival in Sangerhausen to the party’s planned large-scale removal of foreigners required to leave Germany.
He said the Israeli company could be used in some capacity for a “remigration and deportation offensive.”
Siegmund zu neuen Rüstungsindustrieprojekten.
😶🫥
Ich glaub, ich höre nicht richtig. pic.twitter.com/y6mItBYIdb
— 🐈⬛doro hoff (@liberal_dvh) September 10, 2026Siegmund’s statement has provoked considerable outrage, including from the left-wing party BSW, a potential coalition partner.
Speaking at a Magdeburg state parliament press conference, Siegmund declined to take a firm position on whether Elbit Systems should set up operations in the town.
He then connected military production to the AfD’s broader agenda: “We do not demonize the production of armaments across the board, because we will of course also need appropriate support in the later remigration and deportation offensive.”
Linking weapons production to a “remigration and deportation offensive“ quickly went viral on social media, with Essen SPD politician Ali Kaan Sevinc writing: “Now, Ulrich Siegmund is shedding his smiling facade and showing his true face and the AfD.“
Jetzt legt Ulrich #Siegmund die lächelnde Fassade ab und zeigt sein wahres Gesicht und der #AfD – Rüstungsgüter für „#Remigration“ verwenden wollen. Was. Zur. Hölle! #SachsenAnhalt pic.twitter.com/HuNgiUhFtQ
— Ali Kaan Sevinc (@AliKaanSevinc) September 10, 2026Former CDU General Secretary Ruprecht Polenz commented: “This is called ethnic cleansing.”
The prospect of Elbit establishing a presence has already drawn local opposition, according to Welt. The BSW party is organizing protests together with residents of Sangerhausen against the Israeli company.
Siegmund did not clarify how the arms company would participate in remigration efforts.
The BSW is the only party that said it was open to meeting with the AfD to form a government coalition and the two parties are expected to meet in the near future. Notably, the BSW is considered a party with a strong opposition to Israel and routinely features images of destruction in Gaza and of Palestinian children in its campaign posters.
The AfD itself has a more nuanced stance on Israel, with some in the party known for their strong support of the Middle Eastern nation. However, the AfD leadership has signaled strong criticism of Israel, in particular Tino Chrupalla, who has called on Germany to stop supplying weapons to Israel and stop its “one-sided support” of Israel.
BSW federal chairman Fabio de Masi responded to Siegmund’s remark on X: “This shows they don’t want to govern at all and are desperately looking for a way out through provocation.”
AfD defense spokesman Rüdiger Lucassen defended Siegmund’s comments. He noted that deportations fall primarily under the responsibility of the state government and are normally carried out by state police. Once migrants reach the airport, however, German Federal Police assume control, since airports and airspace are within federal jurisdiction.
Lucassen added that the Bundeswehr could still play a supporting role: “Of course, the German Armed Forces can be deployed as part of administrative assistance for deportation flights.”
Israel’s Elbit Systems produces drones, howitzers and rocket launchers, among other military systems, but it remains unclear which items would be produced in Sangerhausen.
Siegmund stressed that the AfD does not reject arms production in principle: “Of course, also in the interest of internal security, its own stability and national defense. We are aware of that. That doesn’t fall from the sky.”
He drew a distinction, however, regarding exports, “But there is a big difference between sending armaments into foreign wars, even at our expense. And this puts us at risk of participating in foreign conflicts.”
Siegmund said the party is following developments in Sangerhausen but added that the economic benefits of a possible arms factory should not be ignored.
“Let’s take a close look: What is being produced there, under what conditions? And does this put us at risk of participating in foreign conflicts? Then, we see this as more than critical,” he added, signaling he may not back the arms factory in the end.
He concluded that the party has not yet taken a final stance on the project because the party has not received all the information they need to make a decision.
