'Trade with Israel' debate in the German Parliament: Will arms exports be stopped?

A motion titled "No weapons for the war in Gaza, stop arms exports to Israel," submitted by members of the "Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance – For Reason and Justice" (BSW) Party, was debated in parliament.

Speaking on behalf of the BSW during the late-night session, Member of Parliament Sevim Dağdelen emphasized that Israel's attacks in Gaza no longer have anything to do with self-defense and demanded that the German government halt arms exports to Israel.

Dağdelen stated that thousands of Palestinian children are facing the threat of starvation and that the primary responsibility for this lies with the far-right Benjamin Netanyahu government, which is blocking humanitarian aid shipments.

Dağdelen, representing the BSW, further described it as shameful that the parliament, from the Greens to the Alternative for Germany party, refused to impose a freeze on arms sales to Israel.

EMPHASIS ON COMPLICITY

Pointing to reports that German weapons are being used by the Israeli army in ways that constitute war crimes, Dağdelen stated, "To date, 37,000 Palestinians have been killed, more than 13,000 of whom are children. So what is the German government doing? It continues to unscrupulously supply weapons and ammunition to Israel. As the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, we believe you must put an end to this complicity."

Left Party member Nicole Gohlke, who supported the motion, also drew attention to the fact that what is being witnessed in Gaza is far more than self-defense, stating, "This is the collective punishment of tens of thousands of innocent people. For Germany, this should mean a permanent ban on arms exports to avoid being complicit in this war crime. It is shocking that the German government is one-sided in this conflict and unable to empathize with all the victims of this war. Instead of remembering the murdered Palestinian children, those who call for an end to this war are often subjected to pressure."

The ruling coalition, which rejected the motion, argued that the BSW was playing ideological games and reiterated their support for Israel.

News Source: AA