Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa's motorcade comes under fire in Ecuador
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Lebanon: Israeli quadcopter drops two shells on cafe in Houla town in South Lebanon
Informed source to Al Mayadeen: SDF Commander-in-Chief Mazloum Abdi demands that al-Sharaa approve the establishment of an autonomous region similar to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
Israeli media: Three drones launched from Yemen toward Eilat in span of 20 minutes.
Qatari Foreign Ministry: "Israel" should have already ceased fire under Trump plan for Gaza
Qatari Foreign Ministry: Release of Israeli captives will mark end of war in Gaza in accordance with Trump plan.
Israeli media: Security incident in Gaza Strip classified as serious results in six wounded soldiers so far, two critically injured.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon: Israeli drone strike targets vehicle in Deir Ames, Tyre governorate.
Lebanese Ministry of Health: Final toll from airstrike on car in Zebdine, Nabatieh District: Two martyrs, four injured
Egyptian media: Indirect talks between Hamas and Israelis begin in Sharm el-Sheikh.

Germany weighs halting arms exports to 'Israel' over Gaza genocide

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Bloomberg
  • 27 May 2025 21:36
  • 1 Shares
4 Min Read

Germany's reluctance to confront "Israel" has long been tied to a narrative of historical responsibility rooted in the Holocaust, one that has been consistently weaponized to shield ongoing Israeli crimes against Palestinians from accountability.

Listen
  • x
  • AP
    German Chancellor Friedrich Merz talks to the media after a meeting with Lithuania's President Gitanas Nauseda at the Presidential palace in Vilnius, Lithuania, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

Bloomberg on Tuesday reported that Germany is weighing potential limits on arms exports to "Israel," citing concern over the worsening humanitarian conditions in Gaza. The development marks a potential turning point in Berlin's historically unconditional military support for Tel Aviv and reflects intensifying domestic and international pressure.

Speaking during a visit to Turku, Finland, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the situation in Gaza demands re-evaluation. "We are appalled by the terrible suffering of the civilian population," Merz stated. "The massive military strikes by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip no longer make any sense to me as to how they serve the goal of fighting terrorism and freeing the hostages."

Merz noted that while Germany will continue to support "Israel," the scale of that support "will be discussed internally by the government." He offered no timeline or specifics, adding that decisions might remain undisclosed.

Policy Reversal

This shift in rhetoric follows Merz's recent assumption of office and signals a clear departure from the more deferential stance adopted by former Chancellor Olaf Scholz. It also comes as Merz seeks stronger alignment with EU partners, particularly as Germany recalibrates its positioning on Ukraine and faces increasingly strained relations with the Trump administration.

Related News

Majority of Germans call for stronger stance on 'Israel', poll finds

Almost 60 UK MPs call for full ban on arms exports to 'Israel'

"It seems to me that the time has come when I have to say publicly that what is currently happening is no longer understandable," Merz, head of the CDU, remarked.

Public sentiment in Germany appears to have shifted in tandem. A recent poll conducted by Civey for Tagesspiegel found that over half of the population opposes continued weapons exports to "Israel". That opposition is echoed inside the government itself.

"German weapons must not be used to spread humanitarian disasters and violate international law," said Adis Ahmetovic, foreign policy spokesperson for the Social Democratic Party (SPD), in an interview with Stern. Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil added that Berlin is actively considering "further steps," which may include reducing arms shipments or placing limitations on how those weapons can be used.

Complicity Reckoning

Germany's reluctance to confront "Israel" has long been tied to a narrative of historical responsibility rooted in the Holocaust, one that has been consistently weaponized to shield ongoing Israeli crimes against Palestinians from accountability.

But as Merz noted at a European policy conference: "Germany must exercise greater restraint than any other country in the world in giving public advice to Israel. But if lines are crossed, where international humanitarian law is now really being violated, then Germany, the German chancellor, must also say something about it."

Despite this rhetorical pivot, recent figures show that Germany has significantly fueled "Israel's" military campaign. In 2023 alone, Germany approved €326.5 million in weapons exports to Israel, a tenfold increase over the previous year. Even in 2024, amid growing scrutiny and legal appeals, Berlin authorized another €161 million in military equipment. Between August and October 2024, €94 million of that total was approved, sparking criticism from rights groups over complicity in violations of humanitarian law.

Read more: Germany decries Gaza toll while fueling war with weapons to 'Israel'

With images of bombed hospitals, starving children, and mass civilian casualties in Gaza dominating headlines, Germany's government now faces mounting calls to align its policy not just with historical memory, but with present-day moral and legal obligations. 

  • Weapons to Israel
  • war on Gaza
  • Friedrich Merz
  • Israel
  • Germany
  • Gaza

Most Read

Tucker Carlson speaks at a memorial for Charlie Kirk, Sunday, September 21, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona (AP)

Tucker Carlson: Israeli officers gave orders on Iran inside Pentagon

  • Politics
  • 2 Oct 2025
A Hamas fighter in combat fatigues stands before the ceremony for the handover of Israeli captives to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, February 22, 2025 (AP)

Hamas responds to Trump plan, backs Gaza withdrawal, exchange

  • Politics
  • 3 Oct 2025
ap

'Israel' pays influencers $7K per post to whitewash Gaza genocide

  • Politics
  • 1 Oct 2025
Mossad’s secret role in Aldo Moro’s 1978 murder revealed

Mossad’s secret role in Aldo Moro’s 1978 murder exposed

  • Politics
  • 5 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
In this May 20, 20201, photo Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, the head of US Central Command, arrives in Baghdad, Iraq (AP)
Politics

US spent $33 billion on post-Oct.7 genocide, wars, Brown Uni reports

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., holds a news conference to mark the seventh day of the government shutdown, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. (AP)
Politics

US troops face unpaid wages as government shutdown drags on

Mourners wave Hezbollah and a Palestinian flag during the funeral of Hezbollah former leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and his successor Sayyed Hashem Safieddine in the Sports City Stadium in Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, February 23, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Hezbollah voices support for Gaza, Resistance on October 7 anniversary

Al-Aqsa Flood restored Palestinian cause on the global stage: Hamas
Politics

Al-Aqsa Flood restored Palestinian cause on the global stage: Hamas

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS