Israeli sanctions do not ensnare Merz
The European Union Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, has proposed sanctions against Israel in response to its military actions in the Gaza Strip, which have been criticized by many countries. The proposed sanctions, if implemented, would withdraw trade preferences affecting 37% of Israel's exports to the EU, serving as a punitive measure.
However, the issue of sanctions against Israel is a point of contention within the black-red coalition, the ruling coalition in Germany, composed of SPD, CSU, and CDU. Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that the German cabinet will discuss this issue in the coming week.
During a press conference with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Merz did not discuss the proposals for sanctions. However, he did express his expectation for the German government to have a unified position at the informal council on October 1st in Copenhagen.
In the CDU, trade sanctions are rejected, but there is some openness to personal sanctions within the party. The search results do not provide information about which faction within the black-red coalition supports personal sanctions against Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir due to allegations of human rights violations and hate propaganda.
The SPD, on the other hand, advocates for putting more pressure on Israel. Von der Leyen also proposed sanctions against Israeli politicians like Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, citing human rights violations and incitement to hatred.
CSU, however, is strictly against further sanctions. The German government plans to formulate its position on von der Leyen's proposal for sanctions by the EU summit at the beginning of October.
As the deadline for a decision approaches, the black-red coalition faces internal disagreements over the proposed sanctions against Israel. The outcome of these discussions could have significant implications for the future of German-Israeli relations and the EU's stance on Israel's military actions in the Gaza Strip.
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