The Joint Conference on Church and Development (GKKE) has cautioned against the recent partial lifting of the arms embargo on Israel, deeming the move premature. In a Berlin press conference unveiling its 2025 arms export report, the organization stressed the necessity of a stabilized situation in the Gaza Strip before considering further export approvals.
Last year, the GKKE urged the German government to halt all arms deliveries to Israel that could potentially be deployed in Gaza, a demand that led to an embargo implemented in August 2025 following the cessation of hostilities. The recent partial resumption of exports, according to the GKKE, disregards the ongoing humanitarian crisis and risks exacerbating the volatile regional dynamics.
Beyond the situation in Israel, the GKKE voiced concerns about arms exports to autocratic regimes in the Middle East, specifically mentioning Saudi Arabia. The organization argues these deliveries are unlikely to enhance Israel’s security and could, conversely, contribute to regional instability. Anne Gidion, the Protestant chair of the GKKE, further criticized the government’s plans to streamline arms exports to India, contending that the hope of diverting India from Russian arms suppliers is unrealistic and poses a threat to international norms.
Max Mutschler, chair of the GKKE’s Arms Export Expert Group, highlighted the government’s commitment to a strategically aligned arms export policy enshrined in the coalition agreement. He noted the initial implementation of measures treating the export potential of arms as a binding allocation criterion.
However, Mutschler strongly criticized this prioritization, particularly the emphasis on economic interests within arms export policy. While acknowledging the importance of security considerations, the GKKE is calling on the German government to prioritize human rights, democracy and peace in its decision-making process, rather than chiefly aligning arms export decisions with foreign policy, economic and security interests. The organization’s report signals a growing tension between Germany’s stated commitments to human rights and its escalating arms trade, raising questions about the true direction of the nation’s foreign policy.
