Following the attack on an aid convoy in the Gaza Strip, several opposition politicians are calling for a halt to the shipment of weapons to Israel.
Traces of destruction: the area around Shifa hospital after a two-week Israeli military operation in Gaza City Photo: Omar Ishaq/dpa
SEDAN taz | “'Accidental attack', what does that mean? And how often have such blows against the Palestinians occurred?” wrote SPD politician Aydan Özoguz on X (formerly Twitter) shortly after the fatal Israeli attack on helpers in the Gaza Strip. That is no longer a defense. And: “Does Netanyahu ever want peace?” he asked.
The Israeli attack on a humanitarian aid convoy belonging to the World Central Kitchen organization, in which seven aid workers from different countries died, sparked outrage around the world. There is plenty of evidence to suggest they were targeted. The US Secretary of Defense calls on Israel to take concrete steps to protect humanitarian workers. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called on Israel to pay compensation to the families of murdered aid workers.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock first asks for clarification: “The Israeli government must quickly and thoroughly investigate this terrible incident,” the green politician wrote on Platform “.
This is not a sufficient reaction for the left opposition. All arms shipments to Israel must be stopped immediately, Gregor Gysi and Martin Schirdewan, chairman of the Left Party, demand in an unusually harsh statement. According to the UN, more than 180 aid organization employees have already died in this war, “mostly Palestinians, to whom there has never been a reaction or apology from the Israeli government.” Therefore, the death of the seven World Central Kitchen employees “is not an isolated case.”
His former party colleague Sahra Wagenknecht is also demanding that the federal government respond with an arms embargo. It is “deeply hypocritical when, on the one hand, international humanitarian aid is organized, while, on the other, Western states supply weapons to continue killing women and children in particular,” said Sahra Wagenknecht, president of the new Alliance. party.
Canada no longer supplies weapons
Before the deadly attack on the World Central Kitchen aid organization, Canada had already announced that it would stop supplying weapons to Israel, as Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly confirmed on Tuesday. The situation on the ground makes it “impossible” to export any type of military equipment to Israel. In Britain, 600 British lawyers have appealed to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government to stop all arms sales to Israel.
Several German humanities scholars are also calling on the federal government to change its course toward governing Israel. “The strategy of unconditional support for Israel has failed,” they write in an open letter. It's time to change course. Investigators believe it is proven that Israel is committing war crimes in Gaza. Therefore, the federal government must be prepared to “condemn and sanction the behavior of the current Israeli government.”
Scientists also accuse the federal government of weakening international institutions with its current stance. He did not condemn the fact that UN employees and Red Crescent aides were killed by the Israeli army, nor did he criticize the Israeli government's attacks on the UN, the WHO and especially the UNWRA. Instead, Germany is committed to protecting Israel from criticism in international courts. They doubt that Israel's actions serve the country's security: they fear that the war in Gaza could intensify hostilities and lead to further radicalization.
The federal government has recently hardened its tone toward Netanyahu. But it still avoids real consequences, such as stopping arms deliveries. Aydan Özoguz still sees movement. Both the Chancellor and the Foreign Minister have called for a ceasefire and more humanitarian aid in recent weeks, the SPD politician told the taz. “That gives me hope.”