Union Persists in Sending Weapons to Israel Despite Calls for Ceasefire
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The Union faction in Germany's Bundestag staunchly opposes a weapons sales halt to Israel due to its military actions in the Gaza Strip. As per the parliamentary business manager Steffen Bilger, the Union's board, alignment with Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) on a unified stance phrases criticism towards Israel, but imposing concrete consequences like stopping weapons deliveries or imposing sanctions are off the table.
Since the 2021 Hamas attack, the federal government has granted arms exports worth approximately 485 million euros to Israel. For the timeframe October 7, 2023, to May 13, 2025, the authorization for weapons and military equipment exports to Israel was granted, as revealed by a recent response from the Economics Ministry to a request from the Left faction obtained by the German Press Agency. Given the Israeli military activities in the Gaza Strip and the dire humanitarian situation there, calls from the SPD for a stop in arms exports have been persistent. Though Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) harshly criticized Israel's government recently, he refrained from setting forth concrete repercussions.
Bilger argued that calls for an arms embargo disregard the fact that Israel faces threats not only from shelling in the Gaza Strip but also from attacks in Yemen and Iran. "It goes without saying that we must continue to support Israel with weapons exports."
CSU echoed similar statements. State group leader Alexander Hoffmann stated, "As long as the state of Israel is threatened in its existence, there will be weapons deliveries from Germany." Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) also spoke in favor of the continuation of arms exports, declaring, "The state interest toward Israel is our benchmark."
In a previous interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung, Wadephul attached weapons deliveries to a legal review of Israel's military actions in the Gaza Strip, causing friction within the Union.
A lawsuit has been ongoing for months at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, with the Latin American country of Nicaragua accusing Germany of complicity in genocide due to its arms exports. In late April 2024, the judges dismissed an urgent application to halt deliveries but refrained from fully dismissing Nicaragua's lawsuit.
Left defense politician Ulrich Thoden called for immediate cessation of all weapons deliveries by the Federal Republic to Israel. Thoden warned, "Otherwise, it could make itself liable for complicity in war crimes."
Insights:- Germany continues to arm Israel despite international criticism and public opposition out of a historically rooted commitment, strategic interests, and a prioritization of security cooperation.- Ongoing debates and political divisions within the government reflect the nuanced approach to arms sales, with some leaders advocating for a review and potential restriction.- Legal challenges at international courts have not compelled Germany to halt its arms deliveries to Israel to date.
- The ongoing debates in Germany's Bundestag regarding weapons sales to Israel involve discussions about economic and social policy, as the Union faction, in alignment with Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU), maintains a unified stance that implies criticism towards Israel, but implements no concrete consequences, such as stopping weapons deliveries or imposing sanctions, due to the country's strategic interests and security cooperation.
- The general news coverage of the ongoing international conflict in war-and-conflicts zones like the Gaza Strip is significantly influenced by the policy-and-legislation decisions made by Germany, with the federal government's decision to continue arms exports to Israel, despite international criticism and public opposition, raising questions about the country's complicity in potential war crimes, as asserted by Left defense politician Ulrich Thoden.
