Just a few days before the second anniversary of the -led attack on Israeli villages and a music festival on October 7, 2023, a peace plan was drawn up by in cooperation with . It is aimed at bringing an end to Israel’s war in Gaza and returning the remaining hostages held by Hama — a prospect that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he welcomed.
The current German government is firmly on Israel’s side, but, as images of starving Palestinian children and the massive destruction inside Gaza spread around the world, German politicians have not shied away from criticizing Israel’s government.
In August, went against some in his own party, the Christian Democrats, when he decided to suspend German arms deliveries to Israel that could end up being used in Gaza.
“Solidarity with Israel does not mean that we consider every [Israeli] government decision good and that we support it, including militarily through supplying weapons,” Merz told German public broadcaster ARD. Merz does, however, reject a blanket ban on all arms deliveries to Israel, as demanded by parts of the German opposition as well as pro-Palestinian groups.
Chancellor Merz and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul have criticized ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza City as “incomprehensible” and “inappropriate.” Minister Wadephul is also calling for Israel to grant aid organizations unhindered access to Gaza to support the local population.
Despite the strong language, German government officials remain hesitant to describe Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide against the Palestinian people. Diplomats with the German Foreign Office in Berlin told DW that such an assessment can only be made once the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague has decided on the matter. , however, a final ruling is not expected for years.
Unlike many EU and NATO member states, Germany currently does not recognize a Palestinian state. Foreign Minister Wadephul told DW doing so would be “premature,” adding that “the goal remains a two-state solution.”
Germany remains a strong ally of Israel
The German government and most German political parties have stressed Israel’s right to exist and right to self-defense in the aftermath of the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023.
Germany carries a special responsibility that arises from the Holocaust, says Chancellor Merz. That is why, he adds, “the principles of German foreign policy towards Israel remain unchanged, nothing has changed and nothing will change.”
Throughout German society, however, attitudes are changing. Pro-Palestinian protests are held every weekend across the country, with some rallies simply urging to support the people of Gaza, while others downright deny Israel’s right to exist.
There are also pro-Israeli demonstrations commemorating the hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza. There have been hundreds of demonstrations over the past two years in Berlin alone, with about two-thirds of them siding with the Palestinian cause.
Antisemitism on the rise
Overall, antisemitic incidents have increased in Germany over the past two years.
Figures show that antisemitic incidents increased by 21% in 2024 compared to 2023, reaching an all-time high of 6,236 cases. Israel’s ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, told DW that left-wing and pro-Palestinian acts of antisemitism had clearly increased alongside established right-wing antisemitism.
“We have a serious problem with left-wing antisemitism — in the cultural scene, among academics, in universities, in galleries and theaters — where Israel and Jews are basically demonized and delegitimized,” Prosor said.
German Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer, meanwhile, has taken a stand against the exclusion and marginalization of Jews in the cultural sphere. He invited the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra and its Israeli conductor to Berlin after their concert in Ghent, Belgium, was canceled by the festival organizer. Weimer also had remove a rapper slated to perform at his art show after said artist was found to spread anti-Israeli views.
The chairman of the German Central Council of Jews, Josef Schuster, told DW that many German Jews feel a sense of solidarity towards the state of Israel. Yet holding them accountable and demonizing them for the policies of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government is unacceptable, Schuster said.
“The government in Israel and the actions of said government in Israel are being equated with Jews all over the world, which is clearly wrong,” Schuster told DW. He also said that criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu was a normal thing in a democratic system, but that Israel’s right to exist should not be called into question.
This, however, is exactly what is happening at some pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Germany today, and can be seen in graffiti and slogans across German towns and cities. Slurs like “Zio-Nazis” and “child murderers” are not uncommon, and murals depicting the Star of David, defaced by Nazi swastikas, have been spotted in Berlin.
Palestinians worry about their old homeland
Last weekend, a broad alliance of aid organizations like Amnesty International, Care and Oxfam, as well as Palestinian activists and radical groups, took to the streets in Berlin to protest against what they say is a crackdown on critics and curtailment of free speech. The Left Party, which says the Israeli government is committing genocide and accuses the German coalition government of complicity, joined the rally as well.
The German-Palestinian Society (DPG), meanwhile, says that the lives of Palestinians in Germany have also changed since October 7, 2023. It says many have relatives or friends who are either languishing in terrible conditions in Gaza or have been killed by Israeli soldiers.
DPG and its lawyers have filed criminal charges against German Chancellor Merz and others, accusing them of aiding and abetting genocide.
“I am not a supporter of Hamas,” DPG Chairman Nazih Musharbash told German public broadcaster Deutschlandfunk.
“I hope that there are enough people in Palestine, among the civilian population, who can exert pressure on the radicals so that a settlement can be reached,” Musharbash continued to say. “We are all against war, against violence. We want a peaceful settlement in a neighborly relationship, with respect and mutual recognition.”
This article was translated from German.
The post Life in Germany since October 7, 2023, and the Gaza war appeared first on Deutsche Welle.
