Some of Israel’s most loyal supporters in Europe are increasingly speaking out against the war in Gaza, with several nations, including Germany, considering trade sanctions and curbs on arms sales.

In recent weeks, the U.K., Netherlands and France have started mulling such moves against Israel to help end the 20-month conflict, which has destroyed much of Gaza and sparked what international aid agencies say is a hunger crisis. Germany’s pivot was the most surprising due to its historical position that protecting Israel is a post-Holocaust obligation.

German anger with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government grew when it intensified military operations against Hamas in mid-May and continued blocking aid to Gaza, according to information obtained by Bloomberg. In the German government’s first such comments since the start of the war, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the humanitarian situation could “no longer be justified by a fight against Hamas terrorism.”

The condemnation is symbolic of the shift in Europe and of Israel’s increasing isolation.

Opinion polls show growing discontent. In a survey last week by Civey for Germany’s Tagesspiegel newspaper, more than half the respondents said it was wrong for Berlin to export weapons to Israel.

The sentiment is similar in several other nations and protests have escalated. Last month, the Netherlands saw one of its biggest demonstrations in years, with tens of thousands of people calling for the war to stop.

“It’s simply become impossible for most European governments to continue supporting Israel’s war despite strong ongoing commitments to Israel’s security,” said Julien Barnes-Dacey, program director for the Middle East and North Africa at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

More countries are taking action and calling for the European Union to adopt sanctions on Israel. The E.U.’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, in May said there is “a strong majority” in favor of reviewing the bloc’s trade agreement with Israel. Merz subsequently said Germany — one of Israel’s main arms suppliers — is considering restrictions on military exports.

The E.U. is Israel’s largest trading partner, with the two exchanging $47 billion of goods last year, according to the International Monetary Fund, and a change in policy would have a palpable impact on the Jewish state’s economy, which is under strain because of the war.

The U.K. announced plans to pause free-trade talks with Israel and sanctions against a handful of individuals and entities it said were engaged in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

Still, European governments remain supportive of Israel’s right to defend itself and E.U. sanctions would likely face opposition from the likes of Hungary. In addition, any measures to cut weapons exports could hurt European defense companies, while risking reciprocal action from Israel, which sells air-defense and other military equipment to Europe.

Aid controversy

Outrage in Europe escalated over a Israel- and U.S.-backed proposal to restart aid distribution to Gaza. The United Nations said the plan would supply nowhere near enough food and medicine to the territory’s more than 2 million Palestinians and politicize handouts.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the Swiss-based nonprofit running the program, started distribution last week and says enough meals will be available as more centers open. But the operation has been marred by violence, with Palestinians breaking through a fence on the first day as they tried to get hold of aid packages.

On Tuesday, for the third day in a row, the Israeli military said it fired warning shots as individuals approached troops near distribution sites. While it denied aiming at civilians, Palestinian health officials said 27 people died after rounds were fired on them.

Israel says the GHF plan is necessary to avoid supplies falling into the hands of Hamas. It also says its escalation of ground and air attacks in Gaza are needed to force Hamas to surrender and release the 58 hostages it still holds.

Iran-backed Hamas, designated a terrorist group by the U.S. and the E.U., triggered the war when thousands of fighters crossed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and abducting 250.

More than 54,000 Gazans have been killed in the war, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in the Palestinian territory. Israel has lost more than 400 troops in Gaza combat.

Images of hungry and injured children and a territory reduced to rubble have spread across news bulletins and social media, intensifying protests and prompting more pressure on Israel to increase aid supplies and stop its bombardment. On Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron said that Europe will have to harden its collective stance toward Israel unless the situation in Gaza improves soon.

“The level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable,” France said in a joint statement with the U.K. and Canada on May 19. “We will not stand by while the Netanyahu Government pursues these egregious actions.”

France, home to both the largest Jewish and Muslim communities in Europe, is seeking to rally international support for Palestinian statehood and this month it is set to co-chair a UN conference in New York with Saudi Arabia. The French president will be in Rome later Tuesday for a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, where he is likely to bring up the issue.

Italy recently urged Israel to end the war. “The legitimate reaction of the Israeli government to a terrible and senseless terrorist act is taking on dramatic and unacceptable forms” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said last week.

The French public is largely supportive of Palestinian independence, with a poll by Odoxa last month showing nearly two thirds of people favor a state and 61% would back political and economic sanctions on Israel. According to the same poll, Macron’s approval rating improved largely due to his shift on Gaza.

For now, Israel’s most important ally, the U.S., is standing by Netanyahu’s government. Still, President Donald Trump has consistently spoken of wanting to stabilize the Middle East and has said he wants the conflict in Gaza to end.

Trump “could actually strengthen the Franco-Saudi push for Palestinian statehood because Palestinian statehood cannot happen without a ceasefire in Gaza,” Rym Momtaz, editor in chief of Carnegie Europe’s blog Strategic Europe, said.

Netanyahu has lashed out at Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, accusing them of “inviting more such atrocities” on Israel.

But also in Germany, Merz’s new critical tone on Israel sparked backlash from leaders from his conservative parliamentary group, who were adamant exports of German weapons to Israel won’t stop. They cited security concerns from not only Gaza but also Yemen and Iran.

For the E.U., forging consensus is often a long process, with several rounds of horse trading. Yet Germany’s comments are “a real marker” of how things have moved, according to Barnes-Dacey of the European Council on Foreign Relations.

“But Europeans will need to back up their statements of condemnation with real material steps,” he said, “if they want to be taken seriously and are genuinely seeking to shift Israeli positioning.”

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—With assistance from Heidi Taksdal Skjeseth, Patrick Van Oosterom, Peter Martin, Ellen Milligan, Jennifer Duggan, Daniel Basteiro, Sanjit Das and Fadwa Hodali.

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