German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s decision to partially halt arms exports to Israel has sparked condemnation from members of his own party.
Merz’s decision on July 8th to halt the supply of weapons potentially usable in Gaza strikes marked the first time it effectively imposed sanctions on Israel during the current war.
By Monday, it was clear that many members of the centre-right CDU/CSU alliance were outraged.
“The CSU was not involved in the decision; we consider it to be questionable,” said Alexander Hoffmann, leader of the CSU parliamentary group.
Boris Rhein (CDU), prime minister of the state of Hesse, said:
The position of the CDU Hesse is crystal clear: We stand unreservedly on the side of Israel. Israel’s security is and remains Germany’s raison d’être. We therefore support Israel’s right to self-defence against terror. For me, this also means very clearly supporting Israel militarily.
Other members also voiced their dissatisfaction, with CDU MP Roderich Kiesewetter calling it a “serious political and strategic mistake.”
The embargo has not only caused internal divisions but also led to accusations that Merz is abandoning Israel at a critical moment. Kiesewetter warned that “this will not free a single hostage,” but it breaks “a long-standing friendship and trust.”
The internal party fallout has been significant, with many members accusing Merz of failing to communicate the decision properly. “I have not made this decision alone, but it is ultimately a decision that I am solely responsible for,” Merz stated.
The decision also contrasts with the chancellor’s own rhetoric: earlier this year, he criticised the previous left-wing German government for implementing a “de facto arms embargo against Israel,” adding: “In the future, what Israel needs to exercise its right of self-defence, Israel will get.”
It now looks as though Merz has broken yet another campaign promise—like his vow to be tough on migration—in order to appease his coalition partners, the Social Democrats.
Matthias Hauer, a CDU state secretary, added that the move sends a “disastrous signal” to Israel.
The tension within the CDU prompted Merz to send his head of cabinet, Thorsten Frei, to reassure critics that the basic principles of German policy toward Israel remained unchanged.
Despite these assurances, the underlying concern within the party is the break with past policy, particularly with the concept of Staatsräson (the principle of defending Israel as a key national interest) that had been established by Merz’s predecessor, Angela Merkel.
Merz, in an interview with ARD, defended his decision, stating that it was a response to a “surprising decision” by Israel’s security cabinet to escalate the military conflict in Gaza.
We cannot supply weapons to a conflict that is trying to be resolved exclusively by military means, which could lead to hundreds of thousands of civilian casualties.
He also emphasized that the decision did not signal a fundamental shift in Germany’s relationship with Israel, stressing that the country would continue to assist Israel in its defence efforts.
Merz’s decision on Israel has also attracted attention from outside the CDU, and put the co-leader of the opposition right-wing Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party into a spot of bother.
Tino Chrupalla, whose party has been critical of weapons exports to conflict zones, expressed support for the government policy, claiming that “our position on arms exports to crisis and war zones has always been clear.”
However, some party members criticised his outspoken remarks, arguing that his comments about “crimes” in Gaza and the potential alignment with Merz’s decision could alienate voters who see Israel as a strategic ally.
