German hesitation on Gaza could encourage atrocities

6/8/2025 7:44

More than 100 Israeli academics have warned in a letter that a failure by Germany to put pressure on Israel could lead to new atrocities in Gaza.



"Further hesitation on Germany's part threatens to enable new atrocities - and undermines the lessons learnt from its own history," the academics wrote in the letter, addressed to senior Social Democrat (SPD) lawmakers Rolf Muetzenich and Adis Ahmetovic and seen by Reuters on Tuesday.



On July 22, the two men, whose party is in the ruling coalition, had called for Germany to join an international coalition pushing for an immediate end to the war in Gaza, sanctions against Israel and a suspension of weapons deliveries.



The German government - comprising the conservative CDU/CSU bloc and the SPD - has sharpened its criticism of Israel over the manmade humanitarian catastrophe visited on Gaza's 2 million people, but has yet to announce any major policy change.