160+ German celebrities, journalists urge end to 'Israel' arms exports
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The signatories stress in a letter that no crime justifies "the collective punishment of millions of innocent people in the most brutal way."
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Palestinians mourn their relative who was killed while trying to reach aid trucks entering the northern Gaza Strip through the Zikim crossing with the occupation on August 6, 2025 (AP)
More than 160 German celebrities and journalists have joined a growing campaign urging Germany to halt arms exports to "Israel", bringing the total number of signatories to 367 as of Wednesday.
The new signatories, announced by activist group Avaaz, include well-known figures such as musicians Nina Chuba and Clueso, German-Turkish director Fatih Akin, Israeli filmmaker and Golden Globe winner Ari Folman, and acclaimed actress Sandra Hüller.
The group also criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's reported intention to fully occupy the Gaza Strip, calling on Chancellor Friedrich Merz to take immediate action.
This follows an open letter released last Thursday by over 200 prominent German figures, who urged an end to arms deliveries and called for sanctions against "Israel" over its ongoing military assault on Gaza.
Catastrophic toll on children
In the letter, the signatories stressed that no crime justifies "the collective punishment of millions of innocent people in the most brutal way."
They highlighted the catastrophic toll on children in Gaza, stating, "More than 17,000 have already been killed. Hundreds of thousands are injured, traumatized, displaced, and starving.”
The signatories, including actors Liv Lisa Fries (Babylon Berlin), Katharina Thalbach (Miss Merkel), and Benno Fürmann (North Face), acknowledged Chancellor Merz's recent criticism of the Israeli occupation government.
However, they called on him to go further by halting all German arms exports to "Israel", backing the suspension of the EU Association Agreement with "Israel", and demanding both an immediate ceasefire and unrestricted access for humanitarian aid.
"These steps are deeply aligned with European values and would make it unmistakably clear to the Israeli government that even its closest allies can no longer tolerate the suffering and that words are no longer enough," the open letter stated.
Last week, Chancellor Merz acknowledged the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and said his government is weighing stronger action.
Germany, he noted, “reserves the right” to implement concrete measures to increase pressure on "Israel" to address “the catastrophic situation” in the enclave.
While no formal decisions have yet been made, Merz confirmed that the Security Cabinet has been actively discussing potential steps. "We reserve the right, however, to take such steps," he emphasized.
