star survey
Germans demand: Government should criticize Israel more
Solidarity with Israel: Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz in October 2023 with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
© Kobi Gideon/Israeli Gpo / Imago Images
Solidarity with Israel was great after the terrorist attack by Hamas. But now the Germans want the federal government to find tougher words about its actions in Gaza. Only the supporters of one party see it differently.
A clear majority of Germans believe that the federal government should criticize Israel more than before for its actions in Gaza. Like a survey for the star showed that 57 percent were in favor of clearer words. 36 percent think that the traffic light coalition should hold back on criticism. 7 percent express no opinion. Recently, Israel came under greater international pressure because of the military operation following the Hamas terrorist attack – among other things because of the large number of civilian victims and poor care for the population. Representatives of the federal government had primarily called for more food deliveries. In March, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) called for humanitarian aid to arrive much more extensively, continuously and reliably during a visit to Jerusalem.
The Greens are particularly critical of Israel
Voters from the Green Party (83 percent) and the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (70 percent) are particularly in favor of a tougher tone towards Israel. But the majority of supporters of the SPD (61 percent), the Union (55 percent) and the AfD (49 percent) are also in favor of clearer criticism. Only the voters of one party overwhelmingly disagree: 56 percent of FDP supporters say that the federal government should hold back. Only 44 percent of FDP voters are in favor of stronger criticism of Israel’s actions.
The data was compiled by the market and opinion research institute forsa star and RTL Deutschland on April 3 and 5, 2024. Database: 1001 respondents. Statistical margin of error: +/- 3 percentage points