Israel's adversaries demand an end to military operations and acknowledge Palestine's statehood
Ines Schwerdtner, the Chairwoman of Germany's Left Party (Die Linke), has urged for a genuine arms embargo against Israel, recognition of a Palestinian state, and sanctions against Israeli ministers in response to Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz's partial halt of arms shipments to Israel.
Schwerdtner's call comes as Die Linke, under her co-leadership since October 2024, maintains a critical stance on Germany's arms exports to Israel. The party advocates for a two-state solution and has criticised Merz's invitation of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to Germany despite an ICC arrest warrant, signalling calls for accountability, including sanctions.
Die Linke has passed internal resolutions condemning Hamas attacks but simultaneously condemning Israeli military actions that violate international law. This complex position reflects a support for peace but also a pressure on Israel via diplomatic or sanction measures.
Schwerdtner and Die Linke emphasise the need to stop German arms supplies to Israel and support broader international legal efforts such as those by the International Court of Justice to prevent genocide. However, as of August 2025, there is no public record that the German government has moved to officially recognise a Palestinian state under Schwerdtner's urgings or that sanctions against Israeli ministers have been imposed.
Schwerdtner has criticised Germany for not taking enough steps to promote peace negotiations. She notes that over 140 countries in the international community recognise Palestine as a state, and she believes that it should have happened long ago for Germany to halt weapons shipments to Israel.
In a recent statement to broadcasters RTL and ntv, Schwerdtner expressed her approval of Merz's decision to halt certain weapons shipments to Israel. However, she reiterates her demand for a genuine arms embargo against Israel, stating that every weapon sent to the Gaza Strip that kills civilians is responsible for more deaths.
Schwerdtner also calls for sanctions against ministers in the cabinet of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stating that Israeli ministers advocating for the elimination and starvation of a country is a war crime. She emphasises the need for recognition of Palestine by Germany and believes that Germany, and especially the federal government, had been watching war crimes for too long.
In conclusion, while Schwerdtner and Die Linke have pushed for stronger measures including a genuine arms embargo, official recognition of Palestine, and sanctions against Israeli officials, these remain policy demands and critiques rather than enacted German federal policy as of August 2025. The German government under Chancellor Merz has only taken limited steps such as halting some arms shipments to Israel without fully embracing these calls.
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