Johann Wadephul

Photo: Tobias Koch

Johann Wadephul: Germany must never deny Israel weapons for self-defense

The CDU foreign policy politician Johann Wadephul calls for providing military aid to Israel and supporting it to the greatest extent possible, also in view of the upcoming 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz extermination camp.

By Johann Wadephul, Deputy Chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the German Bundestag

To revitalize the special relationship between Germany and Israel, we must continue to support Israel. And to guarantee Israel’s security, we must equip Israel in such a way that it can effectively defend itself against immediate risks, threats and concrete attacks, which we have seen time and again in recent years. This also and especially includes arms supplies from Germany.

Israel is a highly developed country with a powerful defense industry of its own. But in some key areas – including submarines and others – it is dependent on cooperation and direct support from partners such as Germany. It must be the logical consequence of deriving our raison d’état that we never deny Israel weapons for its self-defense. That the current government, still in office, has at times created a political linkage is outrageous.

In a few days’ time, the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp will be commemorated. Like no other place, Auschwitz stands as a synonym for the crime against humanity of the Holocaust, committed by Germans and in the name of Germany against the Jews of Europe. We have a moral obligation to remember this and to learn the lessons that continue to be drawn from it. Ans we also have a special responsibility for the existence and security of Israel. At the same time, however, we can experience today how German-Israeli relations are characterized by strength, closeness, familiarity, cordiality and friendship. These relations are unique – but they need to be filled with new life every day.

On 7 October 2023, the terrorist group Hamas committed a barbaric massacre against Israeli civilians. It was the biggest collective crime against Jews since the Holocaust. This should remind us all that the State of Israel and the Jewish people are under constant threat, even 80 years after the end of the Holocaust. The State of Israel and its people need the protection of the international community, especially its closest partners, friends and allies, among which Germany is and must undoubtedly be counted.

It is one thing to say that Israel’s security and right to exist are ‘part of Germany’s raison raison d’état’. It is much more difficult, but all the more important, to put this raison d’être into practice in times of need. And that is exactly what is needed in these days, weeks and months.

Our most important task is to use all diplomatic means at our disposal to protect Israel, to mitigate threats, to reiterate Israel’s right to self-defense in international fora, and to defend it when necessary. We must work to increase the number of Israel’s friends and supporters. Above all, we must work to ensure that excessive and unjustified criticism of Israel is avoided. This is true of many resolutions in UN bodies that are one-sided against Israel and have a clear anti-Israel, if not anti-Semitic, motivation.

We must use diplomacy to ensure that the remaining hostages, who have suffered in Hamas’ criminal captivity for nearly 500 days, are finally released and returned to their families. This is the most important step in reducing the violence and suffering in Gaza. The recent cease-fire and hostage release agreement negotiated by the US with the help of Egypt and Qatar is a first sign of hope that paves the way for this to happen. We must all work to ensure that this agreement is fully implemented, that all hostages are finally released, and that a first step toward a political solution can be taken.

With this in mind, we must work closely with our major partners in the Middle East – especially the Gulf States – and through diplomatic channels to ensure that the specific threats to Israel from the region, from the north, the east and the south, are not only diminished, but ultimately eliminated. The rapid political change in Syria, which has its roots in Israel’s massive weakening of Hezbollah, provides an additional opportunity for this that must be explored.

Our close friendship with Israel and the practical realization of our responsibility toward Israel do not mean that we must stand by and watch the actions of the Israeli government without criticism. On the contrary, we must allow our policy toward Israel to be guided by these very principles: How can we ensure Israel’s security in the long term, and how can we expand the group of states in the world that look favorably on Israel? For us, the basis will always be international law. And that also means that sooner rather than later there must be a realistic prospect of Israelis and Palestinians living together peacefully and prosperously. Both sides must negotiate in good faith the precise shape of the 1967 borders. Even when the signs temporarily point in a different direction, we will not waver from this conviction.

The Berlin Pulse – Express Edition

In cooperation with Table.Media​​​​​​​, The Berlin Pulse Express Edition combines the foreign policy attitudes of Germans with expectations of Germany from abroad.