DM Monitoring
BERLIN: The Israeli government expects Germany to lift its partial halt on arms exports and the travel warning for certain areas of the country following the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Now that the war is over “we do expect the German government to lift those two restrictions,” Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel told journalists on Wednesday during a visit to Berlin.
Haskel also voiced support for Germany taking part in the ongoing peace process for Gaza. “We see the German government as trustworthy to participate,” she said, adding that she would have no objections to German participation in a peacekeeping force.
When asked whether historical sensitivities might be a concern, she replied: “We trust you,” recalling the solidarity rallies in Germany following the attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023.
On August 8, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz ordered a temporary halt on arms exports to Israel that could be used in the Gaza conflict, citing the increasingly aggressive actions of the Israeli military. Until then, the German government had gradually stepped up its criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government but had avoided imposing sanctions.
Following the agreement between Israel and Hamas on initial steps towards a peace process, Merz said the arms export restrictions would need to be reconsidered. However, he wants to coordinate any decision within the German ruling coalition first.
The leadership of Merz’s conservative parliamentary group has called for a swift lifting of the restrictions, while the centre-left Social Democratic Party, the junior partner in Merz’s coalition, has yet to take a position.
After the outbreak of the Gaza conflict, the Foreign Office in Berlin issued a travel warning for parts of Israel and currently advises against travel to the entire country.
