In a speech to the Bundestag, Alternative for Germany (AfD) leader Tino Chrupalla called for an end to arms exports to both Israel and Ukraine, and said that Germany needs to put a stop to its “one-sided partisanship” when it comes to Israel. The move has caused a sharp split within the AfD itself.
Chrupalla said that “exclusive expressions of solidarity” with Israel should end and that there should be no more “blanket Islamophobia.”
“With your arms deliveries to Israel, you accept the dehumanization of all civilian deaths on both sides. You are not contributing to de-escalation, but are constantly pouring oil on the fire,” he said. It is “time to critically and objectively engage with the Israeli government.”
Chrupalla stated that Israel has a right to self-defense, but that it should not be with German-made weapons.
The Israeli government is coming under increased pressure from some on Europe’s right, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has stated her country has the strictest arms embargo on Israel in all of Europe. However, the AfD itself has a history of siding with Israel, and in 2019, called for a ban on the anti-Israel boycott and the divest and sanctions (BDS) movement. Following the Oct. 7 attacks, the AfD parliamentary group stated that “Israel and the Jewish people have our full solidarity.” Many of the most powerful figures on the European right, such as Geert Wilders and Viktor Orbán, are firmly pro-Israel.
However, Chrupalla’s speech may be in part due to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and fear of a spiraling war in the Middle East, which could have profound effects on Europe’s immigration crisis, but also may be a reflection of German public opinion. AfD supporters in particular are highly suspicious of Israel.
Infratest Dimap conducted on behalf of ARD’s “Tagesthemen” and Welt a poll that found only 19 percent of AfD supporters consider Israel to be a “partner of Germany that can be trusted.” While other parties’ voters trust Israel, the figures are still abysmally low. Only 38 percent of Greens voters trust Israel, 36 of the SPD, and 34 for the CDU. Within the left-wing BSW, only 12 percent trust Israel.
When it comes to military support for Israel, the German public is even more opposed, with Infratest Dimap finding that 68 percent of Germans were against sending weapons to Israel, while only 19 percent support such weapons. Within the AfD, this figure is rock bottom, with only 12 percent supporting weapons for AfD and 80 percent opposed.
Supporters of Chrupalla’s speech speak of a “consistent peace course,” the “commandment of non-interference in the internal affairs of foreign powers” and Germany as a “neutral mediator.” Furthermore, it has been a consensus among all German federal governments not to send weapons to “warring states.”
Thuringian Bundestag member Jürgen Pohl posted a video about the speech, stating: “Something big happened yesterday.”
“Western Germans are socialized, Israel can do anything, the others can’t do anything, and we’re supposed to support that,” says Pohl. He said the genocide in Gaza must finally come to an end. “Think about whether the attitude of this supposed reason of state is really right,” he said, referring to previous claims from Chancellor Angela Merkel that Germany exists to support Israel and Israel is “the reason of state.”
Other AfD members noted that it is inconsistent to oppose sending weapons to Ukraine and then support sending weapons to Israel. By rejecting both, the AfD is strengthening its credibility.
However, not all MPs are in support of Chrupalla’s stance towards Israel. Other anonymous AfD MPs spoke to Welt of “left-wing, pacifist nonsense,” and a “low blow to the parliamentary group line” that puts the AfD “on the sidelines” among conservatives.
Another said, “He criticizes Israel but not Hamas. What is stopping him from going to the BSW?”
The other co-leader of the AfD, Alice Weidel, is also opposed to weapon exports to Israel. Regarding the issue, she told Welt: “You simply can’t get anywhere with weapons. You can think about weapons for defensive purposes. But weapons for further offensives are not useful.”
However, in a debate about weapon deliveries last week in the German parliament, AfD foreign policy expert Joachim Wundrak delivered a speech in the opposite direction from the AfD leadership. He criticized Green Party ministers Annalena Baerbock and Robert Habeck, who are said to have blocked arms deliveries to Israel for months.
“We support Germany’s arms deliveries to Israel in order to exercise its right of self-defense,” he stated.
Also from the AfD’s parliamentary group, Bernd Baumann, told WELT television channel about Israel’s right to exist: “We fully support this, and of course that also requires weapons.”
Other leaders, such as Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and French President Emmanuel Macron have already been critical of Israel’s policies for some time.
