Germans and Italians want arms ban on Israel, poll shows

Citizens of two nations also want the EU-Israel Association Agreement suspended

Engines for the Merkava tank are made in Germany. Thomas Helm / The National

Germans and Italians overwhelmingly back ending arms sales to Israel if humanitarian law is not respected in Gaza, an opinion poll suggests.

The research carried out by advocacy group Eko also reveals that citizens of the two countries believe the EU-Israel Association Agreement should be suspended if Israel fails to uphold human rights and democratic principles, as required under Article 2 of the agreement.

The poll was taken ahead of Monday’s EU Foreign Affairs Council, where ministers will debate the EU-Israel Association Agreement.

A review of Israel's actions in Gaza found it may have breached the agreement, according to a leaked document seen by Politico.

“On the basis of the assessments made by the independent international institutions … there are indications that Israel would be in breach of its human rights obligations under Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement,” the European External Action Service concluded.

According to the new poll, about 74 per cent of Germans and 92 per cent of Italians support ending arms exports to Israel if it doesn't respect humanitarian law. German arms exports to Israel include engines for the Merkava tank, although these appear to have slowed down.

Similarly, 77 per cent of Germans and 89 per cent of Italians believe the EU-Israel Association Agreement should be suspended. Both the final results exclude those who didn’t express an opinion.

A protest calling for an end to the arms trade with Israel. NurPhoto

Suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement requires a qualified majority vote among EU member states. Eko says that means the support of major countries like Germany and Italy is essential if that is to happen.

“For months we’ve called on the EU to use its power to stop this horror,” said Eoin Dubsky, senior campaigner at Eko.

“We now have the people, the momentum, and the legal justification to act. Suspending the trade deal and arms sales isn’t just a political option - it’s a legal and moral obligation.”

An initial request filed by Ireland and Spain in February 2024 to review the agreement was ignored by the EU Commission – the EU's executive arm.

But a recent call for a review filed by the Netherlands and sparked by Israel's blockade of aid into Gaza has gained momentum. The Dutch initiative has been supported by Finland, Portugal, Sweden and France.

After the US, Germany was once the second-biggest supplier of arms sales to Israel and sold it $354.4 million worth of equipment last year, a ten-fold increase from 2022.

But this has dwindled since the early weeks of the war in Gaza and the latest figures show sales to Israel do not feature in the top 10 importers of German hardware.

In response to a recent parliamentary question last year, the ministry revealed only $16 million worth of exports were approved from January to August, with only $35,812 in actual weapons for fighting.