The News
Berlin has not approved any weapons exports to Israel since March, however officials denied that it has stopped approving weapons deliveries as policy.
Germany, a strong European ally of Israel, has faced a wave of legal challenges against the exports.
A source close to the German Economy Ministry told Reuters that it had stopped approving weapons exports due to the legal and political issues arising from court cases arguing the exports violate international law.
A German spokesperson told the German news agency dpa that there “is no ban on arms exports to Israel, and there will be no ban.
Berlin has approved exports of just €32,000 in weaponry so far this year, down from €30 million last year, a significant drop for the country that provides Israel with about a third of its military imports, numbers from the German Economy Ministry showed.
SIGNALS
Germany’s strong support for Israel may be starting to fade
German officials have long stressed that Israel’s security is Germany’s “reason of state,” but the military campaign in Gaza has led Israel’s staunchest ally in Europe to tone down its support. The Holocaust’s legacy has made support for Israel “a national obligation” for Germany’s leaders, with some officials going as far as to propose that anyone becoming a German citizen should declare allegiance to Israel. But that strong support has weakened Berlin’s reputation abroad as other European countries move away from alignment with Israel, officials told Der Spiegel, although some have countered that unlike many other nations, Germany still has some power to influence Israel. Still, Berlin’s tone has shifted, with some German lawmakers saying Israel’s actions may have violated international law.
Other European countries slow down arms shipments to Israel
Several other European countries have also slowed or paused arms exports to Israel, amid mounting legal cases and concern over whether they might violate international humanitarian law has grown. Spain and Belgium have paused all weapons sales. Meanwhile, earlier in September, the UK suspended 30 arms export licenses to Israel, warning there was a “clear risk” that British weapons could be used to break international laws. And a court in the Netherlands ruled the country could not supply Israel with parts for F-35 fighter jets due to the legal risks, although Amsterdam has looked to get around the order by sending parts via the US, Dutch public broadcaster NOS reported.
US conducts internal investigations into arms transfers
US government watchdogs are close to publishing findings from multiple investigations of the country’s efforts to supply weapons to Israel, The Washington Post reported. Many former officials have said the transfers transgress US laws prohibiting support for foreign governments committing human rights violations. The US has previously said “it was reasonable to assess” that Israel had used American weapons in violation of international law, but stressed the challenges of reaching a conclusive finding. US officials have said they will continue to provide weapons to Israel, although the Biden administration earlier this year suspended a delivery of heavy bombs that a United Nations body said were likely too destructive for use in Gaza without causing significant civilian casualties.