Germany will stop the export of weapons to Israel that could be used in Gaza, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced, following Israel’s planned expansion of operations in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement made on Aug. 8, 2025, along with the announcement to restrict arms exports to Israel, Merz reaffirmed Germany’s commitment to Israel but expressed concern over the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and called on Israel to allow aid into the strip unimpeded. He also stated that the decision by Israel’s security cabinet to expand the war in Gaza makes it “increasingly unclear” how goals like the release of the hostages and a ceasefire are to be achieved.
The move comes as a shift in policy by Berlin, who has thus far been one of Israel’s biggest backers in its military operations in Gaza. A report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute placed Germany as the second largest supplier of weapons to Israel between 2020 and 2024, making up 33% of the country’s total military imports, behind only the United States. Despite Merz’s announcement, the possibility of weapons exports to Israel’s Iron Dome or other systems not usable in Gaza remains open
In response to the announcement by Germany, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted that Merz “buckled under the pressure of false TV reports and internal pressures from various groups.” Merz has also faced backlash from members of his own party, the center-right Christian Democratic Union, for the decision to halt weapons exports to Israel for use in Gaza, with several party members claiming that they were left in the dark about the decision and that it came as a surprise.
Germany’s historical ties to Israel
To understand why Merz’s decision has been so controversial, it is essential to understand Germany’s longstanding relationship with Israel. The two countries’ connection is deeply rooted in a moral responsibility felt by many Germans toward Israel following the Second World War and Nazi Germany’s persecution of Jews during the Holocaust, with Chancellor Merz consistently maintaining that Germany’s “reason of state” is to defend Israel. Since Israel’s founding in 1948, the two nations have also grown increasingly close economically, with Germany currently serving as Israel’s largest trading partner within the EU.
Changing views of Israel in Germany
Since Hamas’ attack into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and Israel’s subsequent invasion of the Gaza Strip, Germans’ views of Israel have shifted dramatically. While 60% percent of Israelis have a positive or very positive view of Germany, only 36% of Germans now view Israel positively, marking a shift from before the war, according to a May 2025 survey conducted by the German independent foundation Bertelsmann Stiftung.
The shift in the German public’s perspective has also been demonstrated by an increasing number of protests against Israel across Germany. On May 16, 2025, in Berlin, over 1,100 participated in a demonstration marking the anniversary of the Nakba, the name given to the mass displacement of Palestinians following the establishment of Israel in 1948. Several groups within Germany have also called for the government to take stronger measures against Israel, most notably the center-left Social Democratic Party, Germany’s second largest political party.
Does this indicate a fundamental shift in Germany’s relationship with Israel?
While Germany’s decision to halt the export of certain weapons to Israel marks a major change in policy coming out of Berlin, Merz and the rest of his governing coalition are still fundamentally committed to helping Israel achieve its goals in Gaza. Merz maintained this in his statement, indicating that his government’s top priorities remain the release of hostages, a ceasefire and the total elimination of Hamas. In an interview in early August he also stated that “we are not prepared to interfere with Israeli trade or trade with Israel,” indicating his desire to maintain close economic relations.
However, this move by Germany does represent the growing pressure Israel faces to maintain support for its operations in Gaza. Over 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, and pressure is only mounting amid growing calls for increased humanitarian aid and the labeling of Israel’s actions by some human rights organizations as genocide. The announcement by Germany also aligns the country slightly closer with other EU member states who have taken more clear positions against Israel, with some even taking steps to recognize Palestinian statehood.
Germany is beginning to move away from its unwavering, unilateral support of Israel that has characterized its position throughout most of the war in Gaza, but Germany’s deep economic and historical ties with Israel makes it unlikely that there will be a fundamental shift in the way Israel and Germany interact on the international stage. Instead, Germany’s move serves more as a warning to Israel that it can not rely on the unconditional backing of its actions in Gaza, even from allies whose support it has historically not had to question.