Germany found itself internationally isolated this week as its close allies France, the UK, and several other European partners, including Belgium, Portugal and Malta, announced their recognition of Palestinian statehood.
A new survey released on Tuesday showed 62 percent of German voters believe Israeli actions in Gaza constitute genocide, putting increasing pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government to reassess its stance toward Israel, the Anadolu news agency reported.
The representative poll conducted by YouGov showed that the sentiment crosses political lines, with 60 percent of voters from Merz’s conservative CDU/CSU bloc viewing Israel’s military campaign as genocide against Palestinians. Among voters of coalition partner Social Democratic Party (SPD), the figure was even higher at 71 percent.
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While Chancellor Merz and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul have recently sharpened their criticism of Israel’s military offensive and blockade of humanitarian aid to Gaza, they have so far avoided using the term “genocide,” referring instead to “disproportionate” use of force by the Israeli military.
Negative View of Israel
According to the survey, two-thirds (67 percent) of Germans now hold a negative or somewhat negative opinion of Israel. Only about one in five respondents (19 percent) express a positive or somewhat positive view, indicating a significant decline in public perception of Israel in recent months.
Germany will support a United Nations resolution for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but does not believe the time has come to recognize a Palestinian state. pic.twitter.com/qGeq0VdCbc
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) September 22, 2025
The representative survey also revealed a significant gap between German government policy and public opinion on Palestinian statehood. Despite the Merz government’s opposition to recognizing a Palestinian state, 44 percent of German voters supported such recognition, up from 41 percent in May 2025 and 40 percent in June 2024. Only 23 percent opposed recognition, while 33 percent remained undecided.
Recognition of Palestinian State
Germany found itself internationally isolated this week as its close allies France, the UK, and several other European partners, including Belgium, Portugal and Malta, announced their recognition of Palestinian statehood, while Berlin maintained its opposition to immediate recognition.
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Last week, Chancellor Merz argued that while Berlin supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it believes Palestinian statehood recognition should be an outcome of diplomatic negotiations rather than a prerequisite to the peace process.
Merz has repeatedly emphasized Germany’s historical responsibility for Israel due to the country’s Nazi past, and also opposed proposed EU sanctions against the Netanyahu government designed to pressure Tel Aviv to end its brutal military campaign in Gaza that has claimed the lives of more than 65,000 Palestinians since October 2023.
Ongoing Genocide
Since reneging on the ceasefire on March 18, Israel has continued its bloody aerial bombardment across the Gaza Strip, killing and wounding thousands of Palestinians.
Starting on October 7, 2023, the Israeli military, with American support, launched a genocidal war against the people of Gaza. This campaign has so far resulted in the deaths of more than 65,000 Palestinians, with more than 165,000 wounded. The vast majority of the population has been displaced, and the destruction of infrastructure is unprecedented since World War II. Thousands of people are still missing.
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In addition to the military assault, the Israeli blockade has caused a man-made famine, leading to the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians—mostly children—with hundreds of thousands more at risk.
Despite widespread international condemnation, little has been done to hold Israel accountable. The nation is currently under investigation for genocide by the International Court of Justice, while accused war criminals, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, are officially wanted by the International Criminal Court.
(Anadolu, PC)
