Large majority of Germans want tighter controls on arms exports to Israel

Some 73 per cent of Germans want tighter controls on arms exports to Israel, including 30 per cent who favour a total ban, a poll showed yesterday, reflecting growing public unease over the government’s Israel policy, Reuters reported.

Germany has remained one of Israel’s staunchest allies and its second largest arms supplier, despite Israel’s increasing international isolation and rising criticism over its genocide in Gaza.

Between October 2023 and mid-May this year, Germany approved military equipment exports to Israel worth €485 million ($553.72 million), according to a response to a parliamentary inquiry published on Tuesday.

The deliveries included firearms, ammunition, weapons parts, special equipment for the army and navy, electronic equipment, and special armoured vehicles.

No lawsuit challenging German arms exports to Israel has yet succeeded, including a case brought by Nicaragua at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

But Germany’s stance shifted last week when new Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticised Israel’s intensified air strikes in Gaza, calling them no longer justified or comprehensible. His Foreign Minister, Johann Wadephul, warned of possible consequences – hinting at steps towards arms export sanctions.

Three out of four Germans back Merz’s criticism of Israeli actions in Gaza, according to a poll by public broadcaster ARD.

The survey, conducted among 1,292 respondents on 2-3 June, also found that 55 per cent reject the idea that Germany bears a special responsibility to protect Israel due to the legacy of the Nazi-era Holocaust of European Jews.

Thirteen per cent of those surveyed believe Germany should stand unconditionally with Israel in the Middle East conflict, while 74 per cent opposed such a stance.

Additionally, 63 per cent said Israel’s military response in Gaza has gone too far, an increase of six percentage points since August, while 73 per cent consider Israeli military actions unjustified.