Poll: Majority of Germans against sending more weapons to Israel
A poll conducted in Germany and published on Tuesday showed that 60% of respondents oppose arms exports to Israel, while 31% support them and 9% haven’t decided their position.
The Fora Institute conducted a telephone survey on behalf of Stern magazine and RTL Germany on October 17 and 18, covering a sample of 1,007 participants, with a maximum margin of error of ±3%.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, speaking in the Bundestag, the German lower house of parliament, last week, reiterated his country’s commitment to supplying Israel with weapons.
“There have been deliveries and there will always be deliveries… Israel can count on that,” Scholz said.
However, it remains unclear whether any arms deliveries are currently underway.
Between March and mid-August, no weapons were sent from Germany to Israel.
Olaf Scholz also stressed the need to continue humanitarian aid to Gaza, and stressed the importance of adhering to international law in light of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
He also pointed to the importance of working towards a two-state solution with the Palestinians.
The poll revealed varying levels of support for arms exports to Israel among supporters of political parties.
Among voters who support the ruling parties, the poll indicated that rejection outweighed support, with 60% of voters for Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD) and 52% of voters for the Free Democratic Party (FDP) opposed arms exports to Israel.
Among Green Party supporters, 50% opposed the exports, while 56% of CDU/CSU voters were opposed.
Opposition was strongest among voters of the left-wing populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, with 85% opposed to sending weapons, followed by 75% of voters of the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany.
