In major shift, Germany ends arms exports to Israel amid Netanyahu's Gaza takeover plan

Germany has announced it will halt approval of weapons exports to Israel for use in the Gaza Strip “until further notice,” marking a sharp policy shift for one of Israel’s staunchest allies. Chancellor Friedrich Merz made the declaration yesterday after weeks of publicly criticising Israel’s “unclear” goals in Gaza and expressing concern over the worsening humanitarian crisis, though until now he had avoided altering policy.

The decision followed intense domestic debate over how to respond to credible reports of widespread malnutrition and even starvation in Gaza. The immediate trigger was Israel’s decision yesterday to step up military operations in the territory and take over Gaza City.

Merz said the new offensive, approved by the Israeli cabinet, made it “increasingly difficult” to see how Israel could achieve its stated aims of disarming Hamas and freeing the remaining 50 hostages. He affirmed Germany’s commitment to those objectives but stressed that a ceasefire and relief for civilians were top priorities. He also urged Israel to halt any moves towards annexing parts of the West Bank.

Under the new policy, Berlin will not approve the export of any military equipment that could be used in Gaza. Merz said the government was “deeply worried about the continued suffering of the civilian population” and that the planned offensive placed “even stronger responsibility” on Israel to ensure humanitarian provisions.

Germany has long described Israel’s security as integral to its own Staatsräson, a cornerstone of Berlin’s foreign policy, which considers Israel's security as intrinsically linked to German national interest, as a logical consequence of Germany’s responsibility for the Holocaust. Support for Israel has been a hallmark of Merz’s conservative politics, making the suspension a significant break from postwar policy, even if it is unlikely to alter the course of the Gaza war. Until now, Germany had resisted EU calls for punitive measures such as suspending Israel’s association agreement or cutting it out of programmes like Horizon and Erasmus.

EU action has been stymied by internal divisions, with Germany, Hungary and Austria always prioritising Israel’s right to self-defence. In his statement, Merz repeated calls for “full-scale access for aid deliveries” via UN agencies and other groups to improve conditions in Gaza.

Merz has faced mounting pressure from his coalition partners, the centre-left Social Democrats, to take a firmer stance. They have pushed for limiting arms sales and backing partial suspension of Israel’s preferential trade status with the EU. The Bavarian Christian Social Union, however, has demanded continued strong backing for Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Public opinion in Germany has shifted sharply. A Forsa poll in late July found nearly 75 per cent of respondents favoured more pressure on Israel over the humanitarian situation. Support was strongest among Greens and the far-left Linke but also high among voters for the CDU/CSU and the SPD.

The SPD welcomed the move but said further steps should follow, including reviewing Israel’s EU trade status. Between the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023 and May this year, Germany approved defence exports to Israel worth 485 million euros, including firearms, ammunition, weapons parts, electronic equipment and armoured vehicles.

Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil of the SPD called the decision “just,” saying the suffering in Gaza was “unbearable.” An ARD poll this week found nearly 70 per cent of Germans wanted the government to exert greater influence over Israel’s actions.

The move drew criticism from Israel. Netanyahu said Germany was rewarding Hamas terrorism by embargoing arms to Israel. "Instead of supporting Israel's just war against Hamas, which carried out the most horrific attack against the Jewish people since the Holocaust, Germany is rewarding Hamas terrorism by embargoing arms to Israel.”