SPD politicians are demanding stop German arms exports to Israel

In the meantime, even the former Israeli ex-government chief Ehud Olmert takes the word war crimes for the Israeli offensive in Gaza. In Tel Aviv, members of Israeli hostages relatives asked for an end to the war in Gaza at the weekend, an end to the nightmare, as the wife of a kidnapped by Hamas said on a demonstration.

The increasingly ruthless procedure of the Israeli government in Gaza and the displacement of the Palestinians from there by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is also increasingly under the pressure of action. So far, the main thing in Berlin had been awaited, more humanitarian aid – and still exported weapons to Israel.

So it could be over soon. Influential SPD MPs are now asking the federal government to stop German arms exports to Israel in view of possible war crimes in Gaza. “German weapons must not be used to spread humanitarian disasters and to break international law,” said the foreign policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group Adis Ahmetovic star on Sunday. “That is why we are calling Netanyahu’s government to be willing to take ceasefire and return to the negotiating table.”

Experienced foreign politician Ralf Stegner manifests itself in a similar way: “The humanitarian catastrophe for the Palestinian civilian population and the break of international law by the Netanyahu government must immediately end and must not be extended with German weapons.” So far, for good reasons, the Federal Government for Israel has made an exception to the practice not to deliver weapons to conflict areas. This served Israel’s security and defense. “There can currently be no question of this in the Gaza strip and in the West Bank,” said Stegner that star. HONERNOT and misery of Palestinian children had nothing to do with the fight against terrorism.

The SPD party leadership is also put under pressure from the party base. At the weekend, for example, a first application was decided at the SPD Berlin state party conference, which requires the stop of all arms deliveries to Israel. Similar applications in other national associations are in the works, and the topic is also to be debated at the Federal Party Congress in June. The Berlin SPD member of the Bundestag Hakan Demir tells him star In addition: “It is wrong to deliver weapons – given the doubts about compliance with international law.”

In January, Germany exported weapons of two million euros to Israel. According to the federal government, this included parts for tanks and other military vehicles. In 2023, the federal government allowed exports worth 326 million euros to Israel, in 2024 it was 161 million euros. In the past, Germany also delivered weapons of war to Israel to a smaller extent, for example, tank weapons or ammunition. Since October 7, 2023, helmets, protective vests and means of communication have been delivered. There was no export stop, the government emphasized in the past.

The Baden-Württemberg SPD member of the Bundestag Isabel Cademartori now warns that Germany could participate in war crimes in view of the Israeli government’s procedure. “This could lead to Germany itself being legally prosecuted by international courts,” said Cademartori. “The German Federal Government should limit arms exports, especially armored ammunition and spare parts are no longer allowed to be delivered.” There may only be exceptions for the rocket protection screen “Iron Dome”.

After a fragile ceasefire at the beginning of the year, the Israeli government recently announced that they want to wipe out Hamas militarily. At the beginning of May, Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu had issued the permanent occupation of the Gaza strip as the goal. The Palestinians are to be relocated to other countries. Since March, Israel had previously imposed a complete blockage of the coastal area and left no food. Aid organizations warn of a hunger. A few days ago, the government raised the blockade after international pressure and left trucks into the area with food.

In view of this dramatic situation, the Central Council of Jews in Germany had recently appealed to the Israeli government. The war had to end that civilians would have to be spared. The Federal Government’s anti -Semitism representative, Felix Klein, said at the weekend: to hung the Palestinians and to deliberately worsen the humanitarian situation, has nothing to do with securing Israel’s right to exist. “And it can’t be German state races either.”

The black and red coalition is facing a difficult debate in the coming days. In particular, CDU/CSU had so far found hardly any criticism of the Israeli military. Finally, however, the sound had also changed there. For example, faction leader Jens Spahn warned a significantly better supply of the Palestinians last week. “Everyone who has a heart has to hurt to see these pictures,” said Spahn. It is quite possible that the German attitude to the war in Gaza will also be the subject of the first coalition committee on Wednesday.