A leading figure within Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) has publicly supported the decision by Chancellor Friedrich Merz to partially halt arms deliveries to Israel.
Dirk Wiese, the SPD’s parliamentary group manager, stated in an interview that the Chancellor’s course of action was “absolutely correct”. He emphasized that while Germany views the security of Israel as a core tenet of its foreign policy, this does not equate to unconditional support for the current Israeli government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Wiese acknowledged the internal debate within the conservative CDU/CSU bloc regarding the decision, describing it as understandable. However, he defended the Chancellor’s actions as justified, asserting that Israel retains the right to defend itself against Hamas.
He went on to express serious concerns regarding the conduct of Netanyahu’s government, claiming recent decisions have exceeded acceptable boundaries and, in some instances, potentially violate international law. Wiese argued these policies have failed to secure the release of remaining hostages or alleviate the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza, instead exacerbating the suffering of the civilian population. He concluded that Germany cannot disregard these developments.
