BERLIN

Nearly two-thirds of Germans support Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s decision for a partial freeze of arms exports to Israel, said a YouGov survey published Wednesday.

According to the poll, some 65% of Germans back the move, while only 19% of eligible voters consider it wrong and 16% had no opinion.

On Aug. 8, citing Israel’s decision to capture Gaza City, Merz announced that no exports of military equipment that could be used in the Gaza war would be approved for the time being.

Following criticism from his own Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party and its sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), Merz stressed that Germany would continue to help Israel defend itself, but that it could not supply weapons to a conflict that could claim hundreds of thousands of civilian casualties.

According to the survey, Merz's decision received above-average approval among those who voted for the opposition Greens and the Left Party, as well as the co-ruling Social Democratic Party (SPD), or the CDU/CSU in February’s election. The partial delivery halt was somewhat less well received by far-right AfD voters.

Germany has long been a staunch supporter of Israel, with political leaders often citing the nation's historical responsibility toward Israel stemming from its Nazi past and the Holocaust of Jews during World War II.

For months, Merz rejected calls from opposition lawmakers to halt arms exports to Israel and dismissed appeals from EU members to suspend a trade agreement with Tel Aviv, even as Israel's military campaign and blockade in Gaza resulted in over 62,000 casualties, with women and children making up nearly half of the victims.

Official figures show Germany has approved weapons exports to Israel worth nearly half a billion euros since the Gaza conflict escalated two years ago. In response to an inquiry, the German Economic Ministry confirmed that between Oct. 7, 2023, and May 13, 2025, they authorized the delivery of weapons and military equipment to Israel valued at €485 million ($565 million).