German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has taken a strong stance against Israel’s military operations in the blockaded Gaza Strip, describing the ongoing bombing as “no longer acceptable.”

At a press conference in Turku, Finland, on Tuesday (May 26), Merz said that the airstrikes in Gaza, justified as anti-Hamas operations, cannot be explained with any valid reasoning. According to Reuters, this marks one of the toughest positions taken by German political leadership since October 2023, when Israel launched a major response following Hamas attacks.

Historically, Germany has maintained a “special responsibility” toward Israel due to the crimes of the Nazi era, making this a rare and unprecedented position.

Merz stated that Israel’s attacks in Gaza do not seem to be achieving their stated goal of combating terrorism. He described the current situation as “highly critical” and said it was time to openly declare that the ongoing military campaign is no longer justifiable.

Earlier this year, after winning the election in February, Merz had announced that despite an International Criminal Court arrest warrant, he would welcome Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Berlin. His office still displays a photo of the Zikim beach in Israel, which was the site of a Hamas attack in 2023.

Following the Chancellor’s strong criticism, German Foreign Minister Johan Wadephul echoed similar sentiments. The Social Democratic Party (SPD), a coalition partner in the government, has also called for halting arms exports to Israel.

A recent survey by Civey shows that 51% of Germans oppose arms exports to Israel. In 2021, 46% of Germans held a positive view of Israel, but a May 2025 survey by the Bertelsmann Foundation found that number had dropped to 36%.

Felix Klein, Germany’s commissioner against anti-Semitism, emphasized that while support for Israel is rooted in the Holocaust, this does not justify accepting everything uncritically.

Israeli historian Moshe Zimmerman noted that the attitude among ordinary Germans today is similar to that in other countries, though political elites still shape their stance based on the Nazi past.

The Israeli Embassy in Berlin did not take Merz’s comments lightly, stating, “Friedrich Merz is our friend. When he offers criticism like this, we listen carefully.”

Analysts believe this signals a significant shift in European Union support for Israel. Canada, France, and the United Kingdom have already threatened strong actions against Israel over the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Now, Germany, long considered one of Israel’s most reliable supporters, is joining this chorus.