German lawmakers call for end to arms exports to Israel

BERLIN

Several lawmakers of the co-ruling Social Democratic Party (SPD) on Monday called for an end to German arms exports to Israel because of its brutal military action in the Gaza Strip.

"German weapons must not be used to spread humanitarian disasters and violate international law," the foreign policy spokesperson for the SPD parliamentary faction, Adis Ahmetovic, told the news magazine Stern.

"Therefore, we call on (Benjamin) Netanyahu's government to be ready to agree to a ceasefire and return to the negotiating table," he added.

Ahmetovic’s statements were echoed by his party colleague Ralf Stegner, who said: "The humanitarian catastrophe for the Palestinian civilian population and the Netanyahu government's violation of international law must end immediately and must not be prolonged with German weapons."

The German government had, for good reasons, made an exception for Israel from the practice of not supplying weapons to conflict zones. The weapons would have served Israel's security and defense. "That is currently out of the question in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank," Stegner added.

Meanwhile, SPD legislator Isabel Cademartori warned that Germany could be complicit in war crimes by supplying arms to Israel.

"This could lead to Germany itself being prosecuted by international courts," she said.

The German government should therefore limit arms exports, particularly by stopping the supply of tank ammunition and spare parts, Cademartori added.

The total value of exports permitted by the German government in the first quarter of this year was €1.18 billion ($1.34 billion). Israel is currently ranked 10th with export licenses worth €28 million ($31.9 million).

Germany has long been a key ally of Israel, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz often emphasizing Germany’s special responsibility for Israel’s security because of the country’s Nazi past.

Critics argue, however, that Germany’s unwavering support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is damaging its international credibility and further isolating Berlin on the global stage.

Israel is facing a genocide case at the ICJ for its actions in Gaza, where millions of Palestinians remain displaced and face severe shortages of food, medical supplies and other essentials.

The Israeli army, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing more than 53,900 Palestinians, most of them women and children.