German government’s military support for Israel sparks debate

BERLIN

The German government’s decision to resume military support to Israel, despite the country’s genocidal offensive in Gaza, has sparked a debate in the country.

Niema Movassat, a Left Party politician, heavily criticized Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his coalition partners, for planning to start weapons deliveries to Israel, ending a months-long freeze in shipments.

“In Gaza people are starving, Gaza is uninhabitable, Israel is attacking Lebanon, UNIFIL is being targeted by the Israeli army,” Movassat said on X on Monday.

“Meanwhile in Germany, there is serious discussion about rewarding these violations of international law with arms deliveries. Completely lost,” the former lawmaker added.

Germany's Greens Party, which is part of Scholz's ruling coalition, had blocked the export of weapons of war to Israel in the past months, fearing that deliveries may constitute violations of international law.

According to the Bild newspaper, the Greens dropped their opposition last week after the government received “written assurances” from Israel that it would not use German weapons in a “genocide.”

Local media reported that the various export licenses, including spare parts for Israeli army tanks and helicopters, have already been approved.

German political analyst Torsten Menge sharply criticized Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock for dropping their opposition and underlined that receiving such assurances from the Israeli government was not sufficient for Germany to meet its obligations under international law.

“If Baerbock and Habeck demand a written assurance from Israel that it will not use German weapons for genocide, then they are aware that Israel may be committing genocide,” Menge said on X.

“The scandal is that the German government knows that Israel is committing war crimes and genocide, and still sends weapons. Even if Israel does not use the weapons directly (how can we be sure of that?), we are indirectly supporting Israel's crimes,” he stressed.

Germany has been a staunch ally of Israel, and government officials have repeatedly said the country bears special responsibility for Israel’s security due to its Nazi past.

In 2023, the German government approved €326.5 million ($356 million) worth of military equipment and war weapons to Israel. This year’s official figure was below €15 million ($16.4 million).

On Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Sebastian Fischer said: “We see no signs that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza." He reiterated that the country will continue supporting Israel in its fight against Hamas.

His remarks came hours after Israeli warplanes hit tents housing displaced Palestinians at Al-Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza, killing at least four civilians, and injuring dozens.

Videos from the scene showed some Palestinian civilians burned alive, while rescuers were struggling to save people and contain the fire in the hospital’s courtyard.

Since Israel launched its war against Hamas in Gaza last October, it has killed more than 42,200 Palestinians and injured more than 98,400 more, mostly women and children.

Israel is facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its war on the besieged enclave, where millions of Palestinians are displaced, facing famine and acute shortages of medical aid and other essentials.