A recent poll conducted by Verian and reported by “Spiegel” indicates that a majority of German voters would support the Federal Republic backing proposed sanctions against Israel.
The poll, commissioned by the human rights organization Avaaz and carried out in early September, surveyed 1,004 eligible voters. The results showed 63% in favor of supporting the sanctions, compared to 29% opposed.
Analysis of voters aligned with parties represented in the Bundestag reveals a consistent trend. 68% of CDU voters expressed support for sanctions, with 30% against. A similar pattern emerged among SPD voters, with 68% favoring potential EU sanctions and 25% opposing them.
The highest level of support was observed among Green party voters, where 94% were in favor and 5% against. Among Left party voters, 67% voiced positive sentiment towards Germany’s backing of Israel sanctions, with 28% in disagreement. The AfD voters showed the most division on the issue; 49% supported sanctions, while 51% opposed them.
Christoph Schott, Europe Director of Avaaz, commented that the German federal government is increasingly isolated, not only within Europe but also among its own electorate. He stated that continued investment of taxpayer money into Israeli companies whose products could be used for military purposes contradicts the will of German voters. Therefore, he believes Germany should pave the way for EU-level sanctions.
The German government recently rejected a proposal by the EU Commission to immediately partially suspend Israel’s participation in the Horizon Europe research funding program.