A legal challenge seeking to halt German arms exports to Israel has been dismissed by the Berlin Administrative Court.
The case, brought by a coalition of Palestinian and German human rights groups, argued that such exports violated international law due to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The plaintiffs, including the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) and several Palestinian human rights organizations, sought to impose provisional measures to prevent future arms deals with Israel.
German Law and International Obligations
German law, specifically the Foreign Trade and Military Weapons Control Act (MWCA), regulates arms exports and requires government authorization.
The MWCA aims to ensure rigorous oversight and political accountability before export licenses are issued.
The lawsuit hinged on Section 6 of the MWCA, which prohibits arms exports that could violate Germany’s international legal obligations.
The plaintiffs argued that supplying arms to Israel would contravene the Genocide Convention, the Arms Trade Treaty, and the Geneva Conventions, given the situation in Gaza.
The Court, however, did not delve into the merits of the case. Instead, it ruled that the lawsuit was inadmissible because it lacked the necessary urgency.
The court emphasized its authority to review only imminent or already completed government actions.
