German opposition calls on government to exert pressure on Israel for Gaza peace

BERLIN

Germany's opposition Left Party on Wednesday called on the government to use its economic leverage to pressure Israel into stopping its military offensive in Gaza and accepting the widely endorsed peace plan.

During a parliamentary debate on Gaza, Left Party co-chair Jan van Aken strongly criticized Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government for issuing rhetorical statements while failing to take concrete diplomatic action.

“We call on the German government to exert pressure on Israel to achieve peace. Because peace will only come if there is pressure on Israel,” van Aken said. “Because at the moment, the right-wing extremists in the Israeli government are not ready for peace. Economic pressure is also needed,” he stressed.

Addressing German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, who was seated at the government bench during the debate, the Left Party's co-chair dismissed his statement about Gaza as irrelevant. He further criticized Wadephul for blocking potential EU sanctions and economic pressure on the Israeli government. "You've been avoiding that so far. I don't think that's right," he said.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz, a staunch ally of Israel, has repeatedly emphasized Germany's historical responsibility for Israel's security, rooted in its Nazi past and the Holocaust.

While he has criticized Israel's military campaign in Gaza in recent weeks and called for Tel Aviv to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza, Merz has resisted opposition lawmakers' calls for an arms embargo, rejected proposals to suspend the EU-Israel trade agreement, and opposed recognizing a Palestinian state.

Recent polls indicate a growing gap between the government's position and German public opinion on the Middle East conflict. According to a recent poll by public broadcaster ARD, 63% of Germans oppose Israel's military offensive in Gaza, while 55% want the Merz government to join other EU countries in imposing sanctions against Israel. A separate YouGov survey found that 62% of Germans view Israel's military campaign as "genocide" against Palestinians.