The government in Berlin, not content to simply support an ally, has decided it’s more fun to suspend, then un-suspend, arms exports to Israel — all while treating the world’s stage like its personal drama studio. The move, announced Monday, limns a scene of serious diplomacy… staged like a quirky German art-house film.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz initially declared in August that Germany would halt any military equipment to Israel that “could be used in Gaza”. Then, less than three months later, Germany signals a return to “case-by-case” exports — apparently when the cease-fire looked stable and the mood in Berlin flipped.
One senior Berlin official told the press: “Yes, we paused; yes, we may un-pause; it depends on what ‘pause’ means this week.” A spokesperson added: “We want to support Israel’s right to defend itself, but we also want to win the moral high ground… without seeming like we never left the couch.”
A German arms industry insider joked: “We have tanks stacked but are considering moving their gear-boxes to the U.S. until this all sorts itself out.” (Yes, that’s real.)
One Israeli diplomat, blinking, noted: “We thought arm shipments were part of the day-job; now we’re part of Performance Art: Export Pause, Act I. Will there be a sequel? Stay tuned.”
In short, Germany has turned foreign-policy into “Will they? Won’t they?” theatre. The script: “We’re deeply concerned about civilian suffering” + “We remain committed to Israel’s security” + “We reserve the right to review exports case by case” = political dramaturgy.
Laughable perhaps — but it hints at something serious. When an ally’s support becomes conditional theatre, it signals that others might also get on stage. One German analyst put it bluntly: “Berlin’s pull-back is real, but the timing looks like they’re searching for a Netflix deal.”
Final punchline: In a world where geopolitics should be gravely serious, Germany has made it a limited-series. Next episode: “Will Germany ask Israel to join in German war-games? Tune in.”
