In spite of international concerns on genocide in Gaza, the German government has exported approximately $101.5 million of military equipment to Israel during the past three months. This information, which was published on Thursday, shows that the German government has expanded its policy in this field through the approval of arms exports to Israel.
According to official statistics of the German foreign ministry, the country has exported nearly 94 million Euros ($101.5 million) of military equipment to Israel for the past three months. These figures were published in response to a question by the leftist party Bündes Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW). This is almost double the figure which had been reported by the German ministry of economy to the economic committee of the parliament.
Reaction of MPs and domestic critics
The BSW representative in the Bundestag (parliament), Sevim Dağdelen, described this measure of the German government as 'irresponsible" and called for stopping arms exports to Israel. Speaking to local media, she stressed, "By sending arms to Israel, the German coalition government, instead of considering the request of the majority of people on arms ban, is fanning the flame of the wars in Gaza and Lebanon."
Recently, after receiving guarantees from Tel Aviv on "observing international rules" in using German arms, the German government has resumed military equipment sale to Israel. Earlier in March, based on a file which Nicaragua had raised against Berlin in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on charges of helping genocide in Gaza, Germany had stopped arms supply to Israel.
German foreign minister's defense of this policy
Annalena Baerbock, German Foreign Minister, defended her government's policy in this regard and said that all exports to Israel are being done after exact examining and in accordance with international rules. She stressed in a news conference, "We have examined every case exactly and will continue this trend. There are special rules for military exports for the third parties which include Israel, too."
Germany has been one of the key Israeli allies for long and the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has emphasized several times on Germany's responsibility towards the Israeli regime due to the Nazis' [performance] in the past. Critics, however, maintain that Germany's unconditional support for the cabinet of Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has seriously imperiled Berlin's international credit and isolated it more than ever in the global arena.
Since
the start of the Israeli military attack against the Gaza Strip in
October, 2023, over 43,000 Palestinians have been martyred and more than
100,000 others wounded most of whom are women and children. The fake
Zionist regime is now facing a case in the ICJ on charges of genocide in
Gaza where millions of Palestinians are still living in very tough
conditions including food and medicine shortage and lack of other basic
necessities.
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