In the midst of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the German government has faced criticism from the Green Party’s chair, Franziska Brantner, over its inaction on the issue of weapon exports to Israel. The rising number of civilian casualties in Gaza, the denial of humanitarian aid and the openly declared policies of annexation and displacement cannot be ignored, she emphasized in an interview with the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland.
While the German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz and Foreign Minister, Johann Wadephul, have indeed spoken out against the Israeli government’s war tactics, citing violations of international law, Brantner argues that the government’s response has been inadequate. Instead of taking concrete measures to address the situation, the government has taken no action, she claimed.
Germany’s responsibility for Israel’s security is acknowledged, but it is not at odds with the country’s responsibility to uphold international law and respect human rights, Brantner stressed. The government must adhere to the law, she said and if there is a risk that German weapons will be used in violation of international law, they must not be exported. Therefore, weapons used in Gaza must not be exported, she concluded.