German recognition of Palestine remains off the table, lawmaker says
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German lawmaker Thomas Rowekamp says recognition of Palestine is excluded, even after Germany suspends arms exports to "Israel" over Gaza operations.
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An injured boy lies on a blanket on the floor as he waits for treatment at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, July 6, 2025 (AP)
German recognition of Palestine remains excluded from government policy, despite an alleged notable shift in Berlin’s traditional support for "Israel" through defense supplies, according to Thomas Rowekamp, chairman of the German parliament’s defense committee.
Speaking to ARD on Friday, Rowekamp said recognition of Palestine is not under consideration.
“I believe that this [recognition of Palestine] is excluded. By the way, we, not only in the current government, but also in the previous one, have always maintained that recognition of Palestine should follow the peace process, rather than precede it. And this opinion has not changed in any way,” he said
The lawmaker stressed that Germany will continue supporting "Israel" and that the decision to suspend arms supplies was motivated by the government’s aim to establish control over Gaza.
Germany stops issuing weapons transfer permits to 'Israel'
On Friday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that Germany would suspend issuing permits for the export of weapons to "Israel" that could be used in the Gaza Strip.
According to Rowekamp, the suspension was a collective decision made by all three parties in the ruling coalition.
Bild newspaper reported that many politicians from Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), particularly from the Christian Social Union (CSU), which is also part of the ruling coalition, were surprised by the chancellor’s decision.
Bild sources say Merz, under pressure from the Social Democrats and amid rapid developments in Gaza, acted decisively. Although Berlin had already halted direct arms deliveries to "Israel" since the war began, it was still supplying components such as tank engine parts.
Merz had in recent weeks faced mounting criticism for his reluctance to join a statement by dozens of Western countries condemning the "inhumane killing" of Palestinians, drawing ire from coalition partners in the SPD who believe Germany should have signed the joint declaration.
Critics, however, argue that this late decision does not absolve him of earlier inaction, nor does it erase Germany’s failure to take a principled stance during key moments of the Gaza crisis.
Read more: Majority of Germans call for stronger stance on 'Israel', poll finds
