Calls grow in Germany for Israel arms embargo

Anti-Israel sentiment in Europe has been intensifying in recent days, and this week, for the first time, calls have been heard in the German ruling coalition to halt arms exports to Israel due to the war in Gaza and the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

New German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, a friend of Israel who previously called for no hesitation in supplying weapons to Israel without delay, has told German television that he “no longer understands” Israel’s actions. He added, “What is happening in Gaza in the name of the war on Hamas terrorists can no longer be justified.” At the same time, media outlets and officials have been calling for a “reexamination” of Germany’s responsibility for Israel’s security as part of the special relationship between the countries.

Humanitarian catastrophe

Germany significantly increased its arms exports to Israel in the months after the October 7 attacks, and total military exports in 2023 were over €360 million, mainly in the last three months of the year. Last year, German defense exports amounted to more than €150 million. This reportedly included precision shells needed by the Israeli army, taken from the German army’s own emergency stockpile, as well as critical parts for tanks and armored personnel carriers, explosives, small arms, and equipment for the German-made warships supplied to the Israeli navy

When the previous coalition led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz hesitated about supplying weapons, due to the protracted war, Merz led the criticism, accusing Scholz of endangering Israel’s existence by prevaricating. Scholz relented and resumed supplies after a few weeks.

But now, as war drags on and the humanitarian situation in Gaza deteriorates, the images of the aftermath of Israeli bombings, and Germany’s isolation in terms of support for Israel in Europe, have resulted in a different tone from the government that was supposed to be even more pro-Israel than the previous one. The conservative party, and Merz in particular, are considered true friends of Israel. The coalition that Merz formed with the Social Democrats, which came to power last month, made aid to Israel and “ensuring its security” part of its official commitments in the coalition agreement signed between the parties. The agreement reiterates former Chancellor Angela Merkel’s statement that “ensuring the existence of the State of Israel is part of the reason for the existence of the Federal Republic of Germany.”

The new sentiment includes calls to reexamine that commitment. A senior parliamentarian representing the Social Democrats in the coalition, Ralf Stegner, told German media this week that German weapons cannot be used to violate international law. The party’s foreign policy spokesman Adis Ahmetovic echoed this sentiment, “German weapons must not be used to exacerbate a humanitarian catastrophe and violate international law,” Several party members joined the calls.

At the same time, Felix Klein, the government’s representative for combating anti-Semitism in Germany, said that the meaning of Germany’s commitment to Israel’s security must be “reexamined.” “We must do everything in our power to protect the security of the State of Israel and of Jews around the world, but we must also make it clear that this commitment is not a justification for everything.” Klein made the remarks to the conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) newspaper, which declared in its front page yesterday that “Israel has gone too far.”

Last week, the left-wing weekly magazine “Der Spiegel” featured a cover showing the disintegration of the special relationship between Israel and Germany, and the weekly magazine “Stern” published a scathing opinion column saying that Germany should distance itself from the Netanyahu government immediately due to what is happening in Gaza.

Critical survey

A survey by the Bertelsmann Foundation, which was published two weeks ago, found that the German public is more critical of Israel than the political leaders. The number of Germans who support the State of Israel is smaller than the number who support the Palestinians, and about 42% of the public believes that Israel treats the Palestinians the way the Nazis treated the Jews, and more. A recent survey published in Der Tagesspiegel daily newspaper this week revealed that 51% of Germans overwhelmingly oppose arms exports to Israel. About 50% of the public would like Germany to distance itself from Israel.

The consequences of losing German support and perhaps even an arms embargo or reduction in arms shipments could be dramatic. Over the past 18 months, Germany has been one of Israel’s biggest friends in the EU, assisting it in international law, in the intra-European political arena, and in international institutions. According to reports from Brussels, the new German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told a meeting of EU foreign ministers last week, which decided to “reexamine” the basic agreement between the EU and Israel, that his country could not support the move due to its historical responsibility, but he criticized what is happening in Gaza. Germany voted against the move.

All eyes on New York

In recent years, Germany has become one of Israel’s largest suppliers of weapons and defense equipment, with an average share of about 30% of Israel’s annual defense imports (the vast majority of the rest comes from the US, and several European countries such as Italy and the UK are responsible for fractions of a percent of imports). These include, among other things, huge deals to purchase submarines and ships, but German military aid also includes offensive weapons, explosives, and extensive equipment for tanks and armored personnel carriers.

All eyes are on what will happen in three weeks in New York, when a major conference hosted by France and Saudi Arabia is expected to put recognition of a Palestinian state back on the agenda. Germany is not considered a supporter of the move, but the question of how far it will come to Israel’s aid and try to reduce the scope of recognition is still open.

In contrast to the harsh criticism heard against Britain and France in recent days, and especially Spain, which is calling for an international arms embargo on Israel, the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s response to the Chancellor’s statements has been mild. “Israel listens very carefully to Merz, because he is a friend,” said Israeli Ambassador to Germany Ron Prosor said in the German media. “The circumstances under which Israel acts when it is criticized must be examined.” Prosor stressed the difficulty of delivering aid to Gaza, alongside the need to fight terrorism. Merz said he would “raise his concerns” about Gaza in talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and that he had already spoken to him twice.

Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on May 28, 2025.

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