Germany is reopening the door to arms exports to Israel after roughly three and a half months. On Monday in Berlin, government spokesman Stefan Kornelius announced that the delivery freeze imposed in August has been lifted. Going forward, the federal government will again examine each request on a case-by-case basis, as is standard practice under normal circumstances.
The move is justified by the weeks-long ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Berlin speaks of a “stable situation” that now allows a return to routine procedures. With this, the German government is correcting its summer decision, which had caused considerable irritation in Israel – and left many questions unanswered.
In August, Chancellor Friedrich Merz had declared that Germany would temporarily halt deliveries of any weapons that could be used in the Gaza Strip. The trigger was the expansion of Israel’s military operation against Hamas. Merz cited concerns about the humanitarian situation and the question of whether German equipment should be deployed in such a conflict.
In Israel, however, the temporary halt was perceived as a clear political signal –...
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