Germany’s decision to suspend arms deliveries to Israel has dominated headlines and sparked outrage. The announcement by Chancellor Friedrich Merz has unleashed quite a storm at home. The backlash has been swift and broad, from the Central Council of Jews in Germany, the German-Israeli Association, and leading pro-Israel organizations to prominent voices in the media and even members of the Chancellor’s own CDU party.
This is not just another policy disagreement. It is a grave political and strategic error, one that strikes at the very heart of our Staatsräson, Germany’s commitment to protect Jewish life and the security of the State of Israel. That commitment has never been symbolic. It has meant concrete cooperation: intelligence sharing, defense coordination, and arms support.
Allies do not falter in moments of crisis. Yet by halting weapons deliveries when Israel is engaged in an existential war against Hamas, Merz is signaling doubt, not partnership.
A fragile bond at risk
Many people in Germany have voiced their frustration and anger since the headlines broke. What I also want to highlight is my fear that the fragile bond between Germany and Israel – a diplomatic relationship delicately built since 1965 – may now be hanging by a loose thread. In just the last few years, I have seen it grow and develop in beautiful ways. This is more than statecraft; it is the work of reconciliation, of healing deep wounds.
I remember an Israeli friend who, for most of his life, had refused to visit Germany because of his family’s Holocaust trauma. When he finally came to visit me, he was surprised and moved by the warmth and hospitality he received. I have witnessed the fruits of the March of Life movement in Germany, where the descendants of Nazi perpetrators publicly apologized and pledged solidarity with the Jewish people.
Since October 7, I’ve seen Germans volunteer in Israel’s fields and vineyards, harvesting olives and tomatoes, and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Israelis in their grief.
The people of Israel have noticed this love from Germans. Many were deeply touched and astonished to learn how many stood with them – not just with words, but with work and presence.
I fear that this trust and healing so carefully built now hangs in the balance. I sincerely hope it will withstand these challenging times. But I plead with my Israeli friends: please know there are millions of Germans who still stand with you, even if our chancellor’s decision suggests otherwise.
Israel’s right to self-defense
By cutting off weapons at this critical moment, Germany undermines Israel’s fundamental right to self-defense when it is needed most. This move fuels Hamas propaganda, emboldens antisemitic street movements across Europe, and does nothing to secure the release of the hostages – eight of whom are German citizens.
It also fails to ease the suffering in Gaza. On the contrary, it sends mixed signals to Arab states seeking to isolate Hamas – a historic moment in itself. Meanwhile, by continuing arms supplies to Recep Tayyip Erdogan, one of Hamas’s most vocal supporters, Merz is sending a dangerous and disheartening message to the Jewish community in Germany.
In recent days, I have also felt the anguish of Gazan civilians who are actually blaming Hamas for their suffering. They speak of being used as human shields, of aid theft, and of being silenced. They are trapped. Why then do so many in the West oppose Israel’s urgent goal of dismantling Hamas, effectively condemning these innocent people to remain imprisoned in that nightmare?
The Allied Forces did not liberate Europe from Nazism through half-measures. They pursued total defeat and denazification. Why is “de-Hamasification” then met with so much opposition in Europe today? My father-in-law, who fled with his family from the east to the west within Nazi Germany during World War II, never spoke of comfort or safety during those dark times – but he was profoundly grateful that the Nazi regime was crushed. The people of Gaza need a hopeful future too.
I would also like to remind the German public: should Israel respond to our halt in arms deliveries in kind, we could lose access to Israeli intelligence and air defense technology – assets that have helped prevent major terror attacks on German soil. That is not a risk we should take lightly, and it is essential that the German public understands just how much Israel contributes to the safety of an ordinary citizen in Germany.
Responsibility, not occupation
As far as the current Gaza war plan is concerned, Israel’s stated aims are not indefinite occupation. They are: to bring the hostages home, dismantle Hamas’s military capabilities, and work toward a new administration in Gaza – one that is not Hamas and not the Palestinian Authority – through a regional Arab cooperation committed to rebuilding and stability. This is not conquest. This is responsibility.
Those who accuse Israel of malicious intent ignore the fact that it has given repeated evacuation warnings, carried out targeted strikes, and still seeks to minimize civilian harm. If not through force, what realistic option remains when Hamas rejects both ceasefires and hostage releases?
Hamas has, until now, faced no lasting consequence for its atrocities. Why would it change? What incentive does it have to negotiate or compromise when it sees the world turning its anger, not at the terrorists, but at the country defending itself?
Of course, this is a deeply delicate situation, one where the safety of hostages must be the highest priority. I can only hope that Israel’s leadership, military, and intelligence forces are using their most advanced capabilities to find and rescue them. This is a moment that demands cleverness, restraint, and above all, faith.
As King Jehoshaphat once prayed in the face of overwhelming odds: “Hashem, we do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You.” This is such a moment. A cry for deliverance – for both hostages and soldiers, for innocent civilians, and for moral clarity.
The author is a German-Indian writer dedicated to strengthening ties between Israel and the global community.