Elham Asaad Buaras
More than 200 prominent German cultural figures signed an open letter on July 31 addressed to Chancellor Friedrich Merz, urging the government to halt arms exports to Israel and demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
The letter, which also calls for suspending the EU–Israel Association Agreement, has heightened pressure on Berlin to move beyond expressions of concern and take concrete action in response to Israel’s ongoing military offensive.
The signatories—a wide-ranging group of actors, musicians, authors, and television personalities—include Daniel Brühl, Liv Lisa Fries, Meret Becker, Benno Fürmann, Katharina Thalbach, Joko Winterscheidt, Shirin David, and Marc-Uwe Kling.
The campaign, organised by the activist platform Avaaz in collaboration with filmmaker Laura Fischer, marks one of the most significant interventions by the German cultural sector on foreign policy in recent years.
In their appeal, titled Lassen Sie Gaza nicht sterben, Herr Merz (“Don’t Let Gaza Die, Mr Merz”), the signatories begin by condemning the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023. “We too condemn the horrific crimes of Hamas in the strongest possible terms,” the letter states. “But no crime legitimises the collective punishment of millions of innocent people in the most brutal way.”
The letter draws attention to the dire humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. “Children who are not part of the war are starving, dying, and bearing its burden,” the signatories write. “More than 17,000 have already been killed. Hundreds of thousands are injured, traumatised, displaced, and starving.” Emphasising the urgency of the situation, they argue that symbolic gestures and diplomatic language are no longer sufficient: “Words alone do not save lives.”
The open letter follows a recent shift in tone from the German chancellor, who has begun to express public criticism of Israel’s actions. In May, Merz stated that Israel’s military operations were “no longer justified” and admitted he could “no longer understand the goal of what the Israeli army is doing in the Gaza Strip.”
He announced that the government was considering concrete measures to increase pressure on Israel, including the possibility of halting arms exports and increasing humanitarian aid. However, no final decisions have been made.
The signatories welcome Merz’s change in rhetoric but insist that it must now be matched by action. “These steps are deeply aligned with European values,” the letter reads, “and would make it unmistakably clear to the Israeli government that even its closest allies can no longer tolerate the suffering—that words are no longer enough.”
The intervention highlights the growing domestic debate in Germany about the country’s military and diplomatic support for Israel. Germany has provided significant arms exports to Israel, totalling over €485 million from October 2023 to May 2025. Successive governments have cited Germany’s responsibility for the Holocaust as a basis for its strong support of the Israeli state.
Yet many within the cultural and political spheres now argue that this support must be reconciled with international humanitarian law. “Through decisive action,” the letter urges, “you will not be breaking with German state principles—you will be upholding them.”
The letter’s impact has reverberated beyond the world of culture. Senior figures in the ruling coalition, including Social Democratic Party leaders Rolf Mützenich and Norbert Walter-Borjans, have echoed calls to suspend arms deliveries.
International human rights organisations and UN agencies have also warned of an escalating catastrophe, with over 470,000 people in Gaza facing catastrophic levels of hunger. According to the World Health Organisation, at least 89 children have died of malnutrition-related causes since the start of the year.
Chancellor Merz’s government recently launched a humanitarian airlift into Gaza, a move intended to demonstrate Germany’s concern. Yet for the letter’s signatories, such efforts are not enough. “The time for half-measures is over,” one of the organisers said. “It is no longer acceptable to claim neutrality in the face of this level of human suffering.”
Whether the chancellor will heed the letter’s demands remains to be seen. For now, the message from Germany’s cultural community is clear: action, not rhetoric, is what the moment demands.
Photo: Chancellor Friedrich Merz (pictured) was urged by over 200 German cultural figures to halt arms exports to Israel and push for a Gaza ceasefire. (Credit: Steffen Prößdorf/Wikimedia)
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