The Middle East Eye published an article by Jürgen Maekert, a sociology professor at the University of Potsdam, analyzing the reasons behind Germany’s political elite supporting Israel’s genocidal actions in Gaza. Maekert argues that this support stems from sheer self-interest.
He explains that most German institutions and companies are deeply tied to Israel. Any shift in their support for erasing Palestinians would lead to significant losses in profits and influence.
Maekert highlights how German government press conferences have become mere showcases, especially since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. This was followed by Amnesty International’s report documenting genocide committed by Israel in Gaza.
In November, the German government spokesperson appeared evasive when asked about the ICC warrants. He told journalists, “I find it hard to imagine that we would carry out arrests in Germany on this basis.” Similarly, when questioned the following month about Amnesty’s report, the government spokespersons dodged the issue, ultimately justifying Israel’s actions as “self-defense against Hamas.”
Maekert comments that Germany is evidently unwilling to fulfill its obligations as a signatory to the Rome Statute of the ICC. Nor is it prepared to label the well-documented genocide of the Palestinian people as such. The German government had not anticipated the ICC ruling, and now that the court no longer functions solely as a tool of Western interests, Germany is scrambling to find an exit.
“The mask has fallen,” writes Maekert. “Germany, which has long positioned itself as an unshakable defender of supposed universal values of justice and human rights, now stands exposed for its hypocrisy—if not outright mockery—of the very principles of international law and the ICC.”
Neither the ICC’s ruling nor the extensive documentation of the Zionist settler-colonial apartheid regime’s crimes against humanity has deterred Germany from pursuing its typical strategy of denial and rejection. For decades, Germany has supported illegal settlements on Palestinian land and the ethnic cleansing of Palestine, ongoing since the Nakba. Denying such facts is one thing, but dismissing rigorously researched reports by human rights organizations, like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, which confirm Israel’s genocide in Gaza, is an entirely different level of denial.
By rejecting these recent reports, Germany’s denial of these atrocities has reached new heights.
Moral Contradictions
Maekert warns of a scenario where Germany might claim: “Because of our history, we are in an unsolvable dilemma. Regrettably, we cannot follow the ICC’s ruling. Germany has a unique obligation to the Zionist regime, and the ‘logic of the state’—Israel’s security—is paramount, making it impossible to meet our ICC commitments.”
However, Maekert refutes this logic, asserting that Germany is not in any dilemma. The ICC’s ruling is a clear and binding legal obligation. The so-called “logic of the state” is nothing more than an exaggerated, quasi-religious moral justification for Germany’s unrestrained support for Israel.
This transparent strategy aims to convince the world, especially Germans, that their country has a “moral obligation” to support the Zionist regime, while concealing its true geopolitical, economic, military, and financial interests.
For decades, Germany’s claim of acting on “moral grounds” to justify its unwavering support for Israel’s crimes has been effective. Yet, after 16 months of genocide in Gaza, the situation has shifted. Germany’s narrative of moral responsibility is no longer credible, given its direct complicity in funding, arming, and diplomatically shielding the perpetrators of genocide against Palestinians.
Germany’s so-called “logic of the state” provides no escape from its obligations to the ICC. Instead, it exposes the grim reality the world—and Palestinians in particular—have endured for far too long.
A Legacy of Hypocrisy
In 2008, former Chancellor Angela Merkel declared that “Israel’s security is Germany’s security,” embedding this concept into the state’s “logic.” Merkel presented this position as a quasi-religious obligation, granting further legitimacy to decades of unconditional German support for the Zionist regime. Her morally and ideologically charged rhetoric targeted four audiences:
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- The Global Audience: Merkel sought to project Germany as a morally redeemed state that had learned from its history and would stand by Israel no matter what. This declaration laid the groundwork for Germany’s subsequent denial of Israel’s crimes.
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- Israel: By supporting Israel’s siege of Gaza at the time, Merkel signaled that Israel had free rein to act against Palestinians with unlimited German backing. This position extended through Israel’s wars on Gaza in 2008-2009, 2012, 2014, and 2021.
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- The Palestinian People: Merkel made it unequivocally clear to Palestinians that they should expect nothing from Germany beyond hollow talk of human rights, contrived sympathy for their humanitarian plight, and empty rhetoric about a “two-state solution.” Meanwhile, Germany turned a blind eye to illegal settlements and land seizures in Palestine.
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- The German Public: Merkel wanted Germans to understand that there was no alternative to unconditional support for Israel.
Since then, Germany’s political and media landscape has been increasingly shaped to serve the Zionist regime’s interests. In November, the Bundestag adopted the controversial IHRA definition of antisemitism, which has been used to suppress and delegitimize criticism of Israeli policies. Dissenting voices have been criminalized under the guise of combating antisemitism, aligning German democracy with the demands of Zionism.
Merkel’s success in aligning German democracy with Zionism and neoliberal market interests has eroded fundamental rights for German citizens. The political elite, mainstream media, and key institutions have framed Germany’s national “dignity” as deriving from its unconditional support for Israel, even at the expense of Palestinian lives and human rights.
Economic Interests Over Justice
Germany’s claims of moral responsibility mask its economic interests. Many German banks, insurance companies, investors, research institutions, universities, and arms manufacturers are closely tied to Israel. Any policy shift would inevitably result in losses in markets, profits, and technological advancements.
Germany also relies heavily on “The Palestine Laboratory,” where Israel develops and tests surveillance technology, population control methods, drone warfare, and artificial intelligence. These techniques, honed through decades of oppression against Palestinians, are crucial for Germany’s neoliberal systems of control.
Maekert concludes that Germany’s primary motivation lies in protecting these vested interests, cloaking them in ideological rhetoric about historical responsibility for Israel—a regime engaged in genocide.
