Germans to Olaf Sholz: Stop further arms deliveries to Israel

Admin I Tuesday, October 22, 2024

 

BERLIN – Majority of Germans oppose further arms deliveries to Israel, according to a survey published on Tuesday that was conducted for two German media outlets.

The poll shows that 60% of respondents reject arms exports to Israel, while 31% support them and 9% remain undecided.

The Forsa Institute conducted a telephone survey on behalf of the magazine Stern and the broadcaster RTL Germany from October 17 to 18, involving 1,007 respondents, with a maximum margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Last week, in a speech to the Bundestag, the lower house of Germany’s parliament, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reaffirmed the country’s commitment to supplying arms to Israel. “There are deliveries and there will always be further deliveries. Israel can rely on that,” the chancellor said.

However, it remains unclear whether any arms deliveries are currently taking place. Between March and mid-August, no weapons were sent from Germany to Israel.

Scholz also emphasized the need for continued humanitarian aid to Gaza and stressed the importance of upholding international law amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. He also noted the importance of working toward a two-state solution with the Palestinians.

The survey revealed different levels of support for arms exports to Israel among political party supporters.

Among voters of the governing parties, disapproval outweighs approval, with 60% of Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD) voters and 52% of pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) voters rejecting arms exports to Israel. Among Green Party supporters, 50% oppose the deliveries, while 56% of centre-right CDU/CSU voters also express opposition.

Opposition is strongest among voters of the populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), with 85% against arms deliveries, followed by 75% of far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) voters.