In a shift of tone within the Social Democratic Party of Germany, there is a growing call for a change in the country’s approach to Israel.
The Youth Union of the SPD, led by Philipp Türmer, has emphasized the importance of withholding arms shipments to Israel as a means of exerting pressure and contributing to the resolution of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. “The suffering in Gaza must come to an end” Türmer said in an interview with the Tagesspiegel. He also stressed the need for the international community to influence Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government to pave the way for peace in the region, adding that it is unacceptable for the international community to allow further breaches of international law.
Former SPD leader Norbert Walter-Borjans has also spoken out on the issue, saying that the German state’s rationale for supporting Israel requires a change in the country’s stance. “Israel must be brought back from its wrong path” he said, emphasizing that the suspension of arms shipments for illegal purposes is essential. Walter-Borjans noted that the German public is overwhelmingly of the opinion that Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip are unjustified and that few representatives of the official German politics dare to openly condemn the Israeli government’s actions and block the direct material support for its violations of international law.
According to Walter-Borjans, while countries like France, the United Kingdom and Canada, as well as large parts of the Israeli population, openly criticize Israel’s actions, the German foreign policy is being overly cautious. He believes this is not in line with the historical responsibility of Germany, which is to guarantee the existence of Israel. Instead, the current policy is seen as a result of a lack of courage in the face of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where Israel is using weapons of extreme destructive power and the right-wing government is deliberately causing the suffering and displacement of tens of thousands of civilians, with some of its representatives even openly declaring this as their goal.