Pressure grows on Germany over rigid support for Israel

PRESSURE is building on Germany to join steps to sanction Israel over the Gaza war, sparking heated debate in a country that has long been at pains to atone for the Holocaust.

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A DEMONSTRATOR holds a sign referencing the Israeli prime minister's speech at the UN General Assembly the previous day, during an anti-government protest organised by the families of the Israeli hostages taken captive in the Gaza Strip since the October 2023.

(AFP)

Berlin, a steadfast supporter of Israel in the post-World War II era, has grown increasingly isolated as many of its Western allies have recognised a Palestinian state.

While they have universally condemned the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas that started the war on Gaza, many now argue that Israel’s military response has been disproportionate, with no end in sight.

This week in Europe, all eyes will again be on Germany and whether it will oppose EU plans to sanction Israel over its Gaza campaign.

“Germany is under increasing pressure from several directions,” said Mariam Salehi, a researcher in international politics at Berlin's Free University.

“It is coming from political partners within the EU... but also from civil society within Germany and internationally.”

Questioning support for Israel has long been a huge taboo in Germany, given the Nazis’ murder of six million Jews during the Holocaust.