Official Berlin has temporarily suspended arms exports to Israel due to lawsuits. Jerusalem is accused of violating humanitarian law.
Points of attention
- Germany has suspended arms exports to Israel due to lawsuits and violations of humanitarian law.
- In 2024, Jerusalem received permits to export weapons worth 14.5 million.
- The suspension of arms exports shows that countries are concerned about the use of their products and the possible violation of international law.
Germany stopped exporting weapons to Israel
In 2023, the Ministry of Economy of Germany approved the supply of arms to Israel for a total amount of 326.5 million euros.
In August 2024, it turned out that in almost eight months, Jerusalem received permits for the export of defense products worth 14.5 million euros. At most, the article "military weapons" accounted for 32,449 euros.
What is the reason, said a Reuters interlocutor close to the German Defense Ministry. Berlin has suspended arms exports due to lawsuits against Israel.
Germany is wary of being accused of violating humanitarian law. Therefore, until Israel is acquitted because of the situation in Gaza, it is unlikely that exports will be restored.
It should be noted that earlier Great Britain also suspended the export of some weapons. It suspended 30 licenses out of 350.
Why is the sale of arms to Israel suspended?
This is related to the situation in Gaza, where more than 41,000 Palestinians have died since the beginning of the escalation of the armed conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Germany and Britain are worried that their weapons may be used in violation of international law.
Earlier, the head of the British Foreign Office, David Lammy, said that the suspension of the sale of some weapons is not a complete embargo.
