German support for Israel waning amid mounting death toll and famine threat in Gaza

Germany’s stance on its unwavering support for Israel is beginning to wane as the death toll in Gaza climbs beyond 32,000 and the threat of famine mounts.

A few days after the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was one of the first Western leaders to arrive in Tel Aviv and stood beside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Scholz declared Germany a loyal Israel ally with no place but only alongside Israel.

“German history and our responsibility arising from the Holocaust make it our duty to stand up for the existence and security of the State of Israel,” Scholz said at the time. Germany even defended Israel against South Africa’s accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in January. (Related: U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken warn Iran and its allies against escalating Israel-Hamas war.)

Scholz also refrained from answering questions about whether Israel had violated international humanitarian law during the Munich Security Conference in February.

However, as international outrage mounts along with the unending death toll and the looming threat of famine, German officials have started questioning whether their support has gone too far.

“No matter how important the goal, can it justify such terribly high costs?” Scholz asked.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also had similar thoughts with Scholz when she visited Israel in February. Baerbock even said she would send a delegation to Israel because, as a signatory to the Geneva Conventions, her country “is obliged to remind all parties of their duty to abide by international humanitarian law.”

“The security of the people in Israel is just as important as the survival of the Palestinians,” she said.

Germany needs to maintain friendly relations around the world to pursue its interests