Israel's significant impediment to significantly reducing arms exports
German Political Parties Diverge Over Israel Arms Exports
In a recent development, Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) announced that Germany would halt exports of arms that could be used in the ongoing conflict in Gaza. This decision, however, has sparked controversy within the Union and across German political parties.
The city of Gaza was taken by Israel, prompting Merz's announcement. The CDU's stance on arms deliveries to Israel has caused internal discontent, with some within the Union questioning the feasibility and sufficiency of the decision.
The Brandenburg Alliance "Sahra Wagenknecht" (BSW), a left-populist party known for its critical stance towards Germany’s prevailing policies on war and arms deliveries, has long been calling for a halt to weapons deliveries to Israel. The BSW's state chairwoman, Friederike Benda, criticized the federal government's decision to partially halt arms deliveries to Israel as insufficient.
The BSW questions the feasibility of differentiating which weapons can be used in Gaza or not. They argue that the decision on German arms deliveries, whose feasibility is questionable, is not enough and takes more than humanitarian aid in homeopathic doses.
On the other hand, the ruling coalition including SPD (Social Democrats), Greens, and FDP generally supports continuing arms deliveries to Israel in line with Germany’s official foreign policy, which clearly backs Israel. The German foreign minister has explicitly stated that weapons deliveries to Israel will continue, emphasizing support for Israel's right to defend itself.
The Left (Die Linke) party shows internal divisions. While their Berlin branch called for stopping weapon supplies to Israel, condemning Hamas's attacks and affirming Israel’s right to exist, they later moderated some of these stances, avoiding a simple blanket call to halt arms deliveries. This reflects internal disagreements within the party.
The conservative CDU/CSU bloc backs Israel and its right to self-defense, with no indication of a call to halt arms deliveries. This aligns with Germany’s long-standing policy of supporting Israel.
In conclusion, the BSW under Sahra Wagenknecht likely favors a halt or strong limitation on arms deliveries to Israel, reflecting their antiwar stance. The Left shows internal divisions but includes voices calling to stop arms shipments to Israel. Meanwhile, the major governing parties (SPD, Greens, FDP) and CDU/CSU support continuing arms deliveries to Israel as part of Germany’s official foreign policy.
The BSW, a left-populist party with an anti-war stance, has consistently advocated for a complete halt to weapons deliveries to Israel, viewing the federal government's decision to partially halt arms deliveries as insufficient. In contrast, German political parties such as SPD, Greens, FDP, and the conservative CDU/CSU generally support continuing arms deliveries to Israel, aligning with Germany's official foreign policy that backs Israel's right to defend itself. Coverage of this issue, including policy-and-legislation discussions, war-and-conflicts updates, and general-news reports, can be found in various political news outlets.
