Merz faces legal firestorm as Germans demand accountability over Gaza
5 Min Read
Over 1,000 Germans file criminal complaints accusing Chancellor Merz of aiding war crimes in Gaza, as public fury over Berlin's pro-"Israel" stance mounts.
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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz attends a news conference after a meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah II at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, July 29, 2025. (AP)
More than 1,000 criminal complaints have reportedly been filed against German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in recent days, marking a dramatic surge of public outrage over Berlin’s unwavering support for "Israel" amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza. According to Focus magazine, which cited the federal prosecutor’s office, the filings reflect mounting accusations of complicity in war crimes.
The wave of legal action began late last week after TV Mainfranken reported that Selina Pfister, chair of the left-wing Die Linke party in Aschaffenburg, filed a formal complaint against Merz. Pfister accused the chancellor of aiding and abetting war crimes and crimes against humanity through Germany’s political and military support of "Israel’s" actions in Gaza.
The federal prosecutor’s office confirmed to Focus that the bulk of the complaints submitted since then largely replicate Pfister’s charges, calling them “almost identical” in substance.
A growing civil push for accountability
Merz, a staunch supporter of "Israel", has come under increasing fire for his refusal to condemn the Israeli entity's conduct in Gaza, despite widespread reports of famine, indiscriminate bombings, and mass civilian casualties. Critics argue that Berlin's continued weapons shipments and diplomatic cover for Tel Aviv amount to direct complicity in the humanitarian catastrophe.
Public pressure has intensified as footage and images of starving Palestinian children and bombed-out neighborhoods circulate widely across German and international media. Activists and legal experts have warned that Germany’s blanket support for "Israel" may place its leadership in violation of international law.
Pfister’s move appears to have catalyzed a broader legal and civic push against the Chancellor. Her filing reportedly references potential breaches of the Geneva Conventions, and echoes calls from international human rights organizations for state actors to be held accountable for enabling "Israel’s" actions.
Wider context
Last week, Germany's refusal to sign a recent joint declaration demanding an immediate end to "Israel's" war on Gaza ignited criticism from within Chancellor Friedrich Merz's own governing coalition, as global frustration mounts over Western double standards and complicity.
The statement, issued by 29 Western governments, including France, the UK, Canada, and the EU's foreign policy chief, described the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza as "horrifying," citing the killings of over 800 Palestinians trying to obtain basic aid. It condemned the "drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children," and called on "Israel" to "immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid and to urgently enable the UN and humanitarian NGOs to do their life-saving work safely and effectively."
Germany, however, chose not to sign, even as the civilian death toll continues to climb. Reem Alabali Radovan, Germany's international development minister and a member of the SPD, the junior coalition partner, voiced clear disapproval, "The demands in the letter from the 29 partners to the Israeli government are understandable to me. I would have wished for Germany to join the signal sent by the 29 partners."
