The federal government stands behind Israel – but how far does the support for arms deliveries extend? Olaf Scholz reacts to allegations from the opposition with clear words.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz has announced further German arms deliveries to Israel. “We have delivered weapons and we will deliver weapons,” said the SPD politician in the Bundestag debate on the anniversary of the Islamist Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. The Chancellor expressly emphasized that he was speaking as a member of parliament.
Representatives of the CDU and CSU had previously accused the federal government of lacking support for Israel and explicitly referred to arms deliveries. “We have made decisions in the government that will also ensure that there will be further deliveries soon. And then you will see that this was a false assumption,” replied Scholz.
CDU leader Friedrich Merz had previously said: “For weeks and months, the federal government has been refusing to allow the export of ammunition, for example, and even for the delivery of spare parts for tanks to Israel.” He explained that “a large number of companies” had come forward with written documents stating that permits had been applied for and had not been processed by the federal government for months. “What is this other than the de facto denial of export permits?”
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) emphasized the confidentiality of such decisions, which lies with the Federal Security Council within the federal government. However, she referred to a lawsuit before the International Court of Justice. “The Federal Republic of Germany made it clear that we were supplying weapons to support Israel.” At the same time, international law applies.
Between March and August 21, at least, the federal government no longer approved exports of war weapons to Israel, according to responses from the Federal Ministry of Economics to inquiries from Bundestag member Sevim Dagdelen from the Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW). However, the federal government had emphasized that there was no arms export boycott against Israel. In the Bundestag debate, Dagdelen reiterated the BSW’s demand for a ban on arms exports to Israel.
Source: Stern
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