Sounding the Alarm: Germany's Response to Israel's Actions in Gaza
Germany needs to deliver an unequivocal message to Israel immediately
A Bold Voice Hubertus Volmer's Stand Against Israel's Actions in Gaza
Germany's Chancellor Merz isn't mincing words - Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip can no longer be justified as a fight against Hamas. It's high time for consequences, loud and clear.
Since its inception, Israel has faced attacks and has acquired territories beyond its borders due to ongoing threats from its neighboring Arab countries. Iran, a significant threat to Israel, has long voiced its intentions to destroy the "Zionist regime."
Hamas, too, is not a friend to Israel, driven by the mission to dismantle the nation and murder Jews. The current conflict in Gaza was ignited by Hamas terrorists attacking Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in the death of nearly 1200 people and the kidnapping of 250 more. This massacre was the largest against Jews since the Holocaust. To this day, Hamas fires rockets into Israel.
Cracks in the Nation: IsraELI Divisions Over Gaza War
Make no mistake about it - Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, is not the aggressor in this ongoing conflict. If Germany relinquishes weapons to Israel, there are solid reasons. Without the means to protect itself, Israel would cease to exist.
Still, it's evident that the solidarity shown in the arms deliveries is not with a specific government, especially the current one. Its tactics against Hamas in Gaza are disproportionate. Despite the start of aid, there remains the threat of famine in Gaza. Suspicions abound that Israel uses hunger as a weapon, with food being distributed by an opaque foundation with ties to the US government. Before this, no aid had reached Gaza for over two and a half months.
Preliminary estimates from the British "Economist" from early May suggest that between 77,000 and 109,000 Palestinians in Gaza have perished in this war. This would represent four to five percent of the pre-war population of the area. The death toll is still higher than that reported by the Hamas-controlled health authorities in Gaza, which put the number of deceased at 54,084, including 16,854 children, at the end of May.
"Yes, Israel is Committing War Crimes"
Early Roots Alabali-Radovan in Early Start Situation in Gaza "cannot continue like this"The International Criminal Court in The Hague and pro-Palestinian activists have long raised questions about Israel's potential committing of war crimes in Gaza, including starvation. Israel claims to have killed around 20,000 Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters, but it's assumed that Hamas has recruited up to 15,000 new fighters in the same period.
Austrian Colonel and military strategist Matthias Wasinger, speaking to ntv.de, suggests that an ideology like Hamas can be defeated or destroyed without solely relying on military power. The Israeli government is focusing solely on military success in occupying the entire Gaza Strip, while also planning to develop 22 new settlements in the West Bank.
Taking a Stand: Merz and Wadephul's Approach
"What the Israeli army is doing now in the Gaza Strip, I - quite honestly - no longer understand what the goal is," Merz said last week. "The civilian population is increasingly being affected in the way it has been in recent days, which cannot be justified in the fight against Hamas terrorism." Foreign Minister Wadephul echoed this stance, stating that while Israel requires weapons to defend itself, the question remains whether its actions conform to international humanitarian law.
Urgent Action Required
Though both the SPD and the SPD share this stance, the Union, particularly the CSU, disputes it. The examination Wadephul mentioned to the "Süddeutsche Zeitung" has yet to occur, implying that arms deliveries will continue as usual. If this is indeed the case, this stance is a significant mistake.
In the Gaza War, weapons systems of German origin are being employed, such as Israeli-produced armored vehicles with German engines. However, deliveries are not of utmost importance. As per reports from the Swedish institute Sipri, Germany was the source of 30 percent of Israeli weapons imports between 2019 and 2023, most of it for the navy. Yet, an analysis by "Die Zeit" concludes that the importance of German defense technology for the Israeli military has significantly decreased, despite continued deliveries totaling almost 500 million euros since October 7, 2023.
It's not about ceasing all deliveries, but rather sending a strong message. After Merz's comments, Israeli ambassador Ron Prosor reported, "If Friedrich Merz makes these criticisms against Israel, we listen very carefully, because he is a friend." But perhaps a clearer open message from the German government might cause Israel to listen a bit more: We are willing to help Israel, but we do not want to contribute to a war that is strategically meaningless and politically disastrous.
Source: ntv.de
- Weapon Delivery
- Debate on Weapon Deliveries
- Israel
- Gaza Strip
- Gaza
- Hamas
- Benjamin Netanyahu
- Friedrich Merz
- Johann Wadephul
- The European Union, in its commitment to a comprehensive and comprehensive approach to the fight against terrorism, is closely following the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, with recent events leading to debate on weapon deliveries to Israel.
- The ongoing war-and-conflicts in the Middle East, specifically the Gaza Strip, are not just political news but general news, with Germany's stance on weapon delivery to Israel being a key factor in understanding the international response to these events.
