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Suspending weapons to 'Israel' was never a consideration, Germany says

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
5 Jun 2025 22:26
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Germany will continue supplying weapons to "Israel", German FM Johann Wadephul says, despite mounting civilian casualties in Gaza and calls for expanded humanitarian aid access.

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German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul arrives for a wreath laying ceremony with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar at the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, June 5, 2025. (AP)

Germany will continue supplying weapons to "Israel", German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul announced Thursday, affirming that a suspension of arms exports was never under consideration.

“Israel is under attack by terrorist organizations... Needless to say that Israel must be able to defend itself against this violence. That is why Germany will continue to support Israel, including by supplying weapons. This has never been called into question,” Wadephul said during a joint press conference in Berlin with his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Sa'ar.

While reiterating Berlin’s military support for "Israel", Wadephul also urged the occupation to allow and expand the flow of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, where "Israel" has been deliberately starving Palestinians and assaulting those who were able to reach aid distribution sites.

Considerations down the drain

In May, Wadephul had told WDR TV that Germany’s Federal Security Council might consider reviewing weapons sales to "Israel", prompting speculation of a policy shift. However, his latest remarks appear to close the door on any potential suspension.

Similarly, 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.

This comes despite growing public discontent and intensifying scrutiny of Germany's military support to the Israeli regime. A fresh poll indicated that most Germans are in favor of pausing arms shipments to "Israel" amid the continued assault on Gaza. Conducted by the INSA polling institute on behalf of the global activist group Avaaz, the survey found that 58% of respondents support a temporary freeze on arms exports, while 22% are against such a measure. An additional 19% either chose not to answer or were undecided.