Germany's stance on its unwavering support for Israel is beginning to wane as the death toll in Gaza climbs beyond 32,000 and the th...
Germany's stance on its unwavering support for Israel is beginning to wane as the death toll in Gaza climbs beyond 32,000 and the threat of famine mounts.
A few days after the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was one of the first Western leaders to arrive in Tel Aviv and stood beside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Scholz declared Germany a loyal Israel ally with no place but only alongside Israel.
"German history and our responsibility arising from the Holocaust make it our duty to stand up for the existence and security of the State of Israel," Scholz said at the time. Germany even defended Israel against South Africa's accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in January.
Scholz also refrained from answering questions about whether Israel had violated international humanitarian law during the Munich Security Conference in February.
However, as international outrage mounts along with the unending death toll and the looming threat of famine, German officials have started questioning whether their support has gone too far.
"No matter how important the goal, can it justify such terribly high costs?" Scholz asked.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also had similar thoughts with Scholz when she visited Israel in February. Baerbock even said she would send a delegation to Israel because, as a signatory to the Geneva Conventions, her country "is obliged to remind all parties of their duty to abide by international humanitarian law."
"The security of the people in Israel is just as important as the survival of the Palestinians," she said.
Germany needs to maintain friendly relations around the world to pursue its interests
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz responded to Baerbock on X.
"We expect our friends to continue supporting Israel during these challenging times and not weaken it against the terrorist organization Hamas," he said.
Berlin, like Washington, has tried to back Israel by being its second-largest arms supplier but not allowing it to go so far.
But Germany is not as powerful as the United States. It needs to maintain friendly relations around the world to pursue its interests, whether it is forging agreements with Egypt to address the migration crisis in Europe or rallying support for measures backing Ukraine against Russia.
The same goes with Israel.
Now that the US, the most important ally of Germany, is showing growing dissatisfaction with the genocidal actions of Israel, Germany is also starting to shift its tone. The discontentment was notably displayed when the US refused to use its veto power in United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2728. Instead, the US chose to abstain.
The resolution, adopted on Mar. 25, demands an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war for the month of Ramadan that will lead to lasting peace, the immediate and unconditional release of hostages and "the urgent need to expand the flow" of aid into Gaza.
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