German politicians divided over military deployment to Mideast crisis region
Local media reports contradictory statements by lawmakers ahead of possible confrontation between Iran, Israel
BERLIN
German politicians are divided over military deployment to the Middle East crisis region ahead of a possible confrontation between Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah and Israel, local media reported Tuesday.
The chairman of the Parliamentary Defense Committee, Marcus Faber, expressed skepticism over the Bundeswehr's deployment in the Middle East conflict.
Germany should help Israel, for example by quickly approving arms exports, he said. "The Bundeswehr in Israel was not asked and could be of little help," the Free Democratic lawmaker told the RND media outlet.
Faber’s comments follow the statements by the foreign policy expert of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) parliamentary faction, Roderich Kiesewetter, who had called over the weekend for military assistance to Israel in view of the threatened Iranian attack.
His party member Johann Wadephul, however, opposed such a move. “As far as we know, scenarios such as military support are not on the agenda. A Bundestag (parliament) mandate would be necessary for that anyway,” Wadephul said.
The foreign policy spokesman for the CDU parliamentary group, Juergen Hardt, also contradicted Kiesewetter. He told public broadcaster WDR that one should not raise expectations that German fighter jets could be used to defend Israel.
“I fear that the Bundeswehr would not be able to do this, even if we wanted to,” Hardt continued. He also believes that such questions should not be discussed openly, but behind closed doors.
Meanwhile, the military expert of the ruling Social Democratic Party (SPD), Andreas Schwarz, told the RND media group: “So far there have been no inquiries from Israel. But I assume that the federal government is prepared for this and is in contact with Israel and its Western allies on this issue.”
Germany has been a staunch supporter of Israel for decades as a result of its Nazi past. The European country is a significant arms supplier to Israel, with a substantial contribution of €326.5 million ($353.70 million) worth of military equipment and weapons in the past year alone.
Germany's lethal arms exports to the occupied territories have seen a tenfold increase after Israel launched its brutal war on Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, making it not only complicit but an active participant in the genocide unfolding in the besieged Palestinian territory.
