Legal pressures mount on Germany to cut aid to Israel
Last week, Berlin-based lawyers filed an “urgent appeal” on behalf of Palestinians against the German government in a German court, according to a statement by the European Legal Support Center, a nonprofit aligned with the Palestinian solidarity movement.
The suit alleges that German “weapons are being used to commit grave violations of international law, such as the crime of genocide and war crimes.” The plaintiffs are calling on the courts to order a halt to these deliveries.
The case goes hand-in-hand with criminal charges filed on behalf of Palestinians in February, which specifically targeted high-ranking members of the German government, including Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, and Economy Minister Robert Habeck, whose cabinet portfolios are most responsible for approving weapons export licenses.
Other countries, such as Canada and the Netherlands, have taken steps to review their military support for Israel.