This week has been so packed again and then I was also off work for two days... but now I'm back in front of the computer full of energy!
Did anyone see the exchange of blows in the Bundestag? With the unusual scene when Scholz spontaneously leaves the government bench? Great, Mr. Merz!
Here is a summary:
During the Bundestag debate on the first anniversary of the Hamas massacre, the Federal Chancellor and CDU leader (and potential next Chancellor) clash violently. Merz describes how the gouverment put the brakes on a number of requests from Israel for ammunition and tank spare parts. Scholz accuses the CDU/CSU of misrepresentation. But then Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced new German arms deliveries to Israel during this passionate exchange of blows in the Bundestag. “We have made decisions in the government that will ensure that there will be further deliveries in the near future,” said Scholz in the Bundestag during the commemorative debate on the attack on Israel by the radical Palestinian organization Hamas on 7 October 2023. His intervention was in response to accusations by CDU leader Friedrich Merz that the government would refuse such deliveries. “We have not decided not to supply weapons,” said Scholz. “We have supplied weapons and we will supply weapons.” This is the position of the German government.
Earlier in the debate, Merz had spoken of “cracks in Germany's solidarity” with Israel. “For weeks and months, the German government has been refusing export licenses for the delivery of ammunition and even for the delivery of spare parts for tanks to Israel,” said the CDU chairman. He was aware of a whole series of cases “in which the German government has refused the necessary approval for the delivery of material and equipment that Israel urgently needs to exercise its right to self-defense,” Merz continued. He asked what the government's declarations of solidarity were actually worth against this backdrop.
Merz explained that, according to his information, the German government had said in talks with the Israeli government that Israel should not even raise the question of arms deliveries because “we will say no in any case”. This was the only way the German government could have said that there had been no requests for arms deliveries and therefore no decision would have had to be made.
SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich then accused Merz of “overstepping the mark”. “I am disappointed, perhaps even appalled, at the way one or two people are using this debate to make a serious allegation in this House,” said Mützenich in response to the CDU leader's accusations. Germany not only supports Israel with weapons, but also with humanitarian and financial aid, Mützenich continued. However, it must also be said about the deliveries “that this material must be used in order to comply with the international law of war”, he added. He could not comment on the specific cases due to the applicable confidentiality regulations.
Merz then reiterated his accusations and referred to information provided by the companies concerned. According to this, their applications for deliveries “have not been processed by the government for months”. What is this other than “the de facto refusal of export licenses”, said the CDU leader. If there are political reasons for this behavior, then the government should say so instead of pretending that it wants to help Israel, he added.
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also emphasized the confidentiality of such decisions, which lie with the Federal Security Council within the Federal Government. The Green politician referred to a lawsuit before the International Court of Justice. “The Federal Republic of Germany has made it clear that we are supplying weapons to support Israel.” At the same time, however, international law applies.
At least between March and August 21, the German government did not approve any more war weapons exports to Israel. At the same time, the Federal Government emphasized that there is no arms export boycott against Israel (https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Merz-wirft-Ampel-heimlichen-Waffenboykott-gegen-Israel-vor-article25283473.html).
Merz also supported Israel already in February this year, when he traveled to Jerusalem. The leader of the CDU backed Israel's military action against the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The CDU chairman said back then after a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem: “From my impression, the Israeli government and the Israeli army are doing everything they can to protect the civilian population there.” (https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/politik/ausland/merz-israel-netanjahu-gaza-krieg-100.html). So much for big politics.
A lot has changed in my work too! I am a new member of the KGD, Conference for History Didactics (https://www.historicum.net/kgd/). Thank you very much for accepting me. I was also asked if I would like to review texts in the future. I emphasize that I was asked 😉 I would also like to thank for trusting my expertise.
Plus: More videos whose scripts I wrote went online. I have now made over 60 videos, believe it or not! I am delighted that my work is helping students and support so many young people to understand history better.
More details on these and other topics in my newsletter, which is published once a month (again in November).
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