Since March, Germany has ceased to deliver any weapons to Israel.  The request to the Israeli government was followed: Berlin demanded a written guarantee that German weapons would not be used against Palestinian civilians in Gaza.  Politico now confirms what the newspaper Bild first reported: Israel’s military actions in Gaza, where more than 42,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed since last October, prompted the measure.

Members of the Green Party spearheaded the ban on the exportation of weapons, Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Economy Minister Robert Habeck.  According to Bild, the Israeli government has to give an official guarantee that no German weapons are used for what might be considered genocide or any other breaches of international law.

Under German law, the export of weapons to countries where there is a high risk that arms would be used against the civilian population is prohibited.  According to the ministers, all arms supplies made to Israel must comply with the norms of international humanitarian law.  A source aware of the situation told *Politico* that in that case, arms exports might even be stopped by one of the German administrative courts.

The decision comes amidst heightened international pressure against the military operations in Gaza as it is increasingly being termed indiscriminate attacks on civilians.  Calls have grown amid intensified conflict, and Germany insists Israel obey the rules of International Humanitarian Law.

While Israel has justified its actions as necessary for self-defence, Foreign Minister Baerbock repeatedly underlined that such operations must respect international legal norms.  “Humanitarian considerations must not be ignored,” she said, with Germany reaffirming its support for Israel’s right to defend itself.

The arms delivery halt has raised mixed feelings in Germany, while Olaf Scholz’s Free Democratic Party faced criticism for its unclear position.  The prominent opposition leader, Friedrich Merz, who is the leader of the Christian Democratic Union, argued that ultimate responsibility still rests with Scholz, chairman of the Federal Security Council.

Indeed, Germany has been one of Israel’s most important international diplomatic and military supporters historically.  Its decision to suspend arms exports does constitute, however, a watershed moment reflective of the tension between Germany’s historic commitment to Israel’s security and its compliance with international human rights standards.  As Gaza’s humanitarian crisis worsens, calls within Germany for greater scrutiny of arms exports have grown louder.

Last Thursday, Israel reportedly made written assurances to Berlin that prove German weapons will not be targeted against civilians in Gaza.  This assurance perhaps means those arms could still resume delivery to Tel Aviv.  Still, it further emphasises how grave the balancing act Germany needs to do for supporting Israel and upholding its principles of humanity.

It marked a landmark development within the history of Germany-Israel relations.  It presented a substantial question as to whether future forms of military cooperation between the two countries would, in a more significant part, be defined by political, legal, and ethical considerations.

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