German Public Figures Urge Halting Arms Exports to Israel

(MENAFN) Over 160 well-known German personalities, including entertainers and journalists, joined a growing initiative on Wednesday urging Germany to end its weapons exports to Israel.

According to the activist network Avaaz, the list of 162 recent endorsers features prominent artists such as musicians Nina Chuba and Clueso, distinguished German-Turkish filmmaker Fatih Akin, Israeli Golden Globe recipient Ari Folman, and celebrated actress Sandra Hueller.

Those leading the movement also denounced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s alleged plan to "occupy the entire Gaza Strip."

"Mr. (Chancellor Friedrich) Merz, it is high time to act!" they declared in their message.

By Wednesday morning, the number of signatories to the petition had risen to 367, consisting of influential figures from the cultural and media sectors.

This followed an earlier appeal last Thursday, when more than 200 notable German cultural figures and reporters implored Merz to halt arms shipments to Israel and to introduce additional punitive measures against Tel Aviv in light of its deadly military offensive in Gaza.

In their public declaration, the group highlighted the extreme suffering of children in the Gaza region, asserting: "We, too, condemn the horrific crimes of Hamas in the strongest possible terms. But no crime legitimizes the collective punishment of millions of innocent people in the most brutal way."

The letter further emphasized that, in the Gaza Strip, children—though uninvolved in the conflict—are enduring its most severe consequences, facing starvation and death.

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