Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Novus Orbis: Siyaset Bilimi ve Uluslararası İlişkiler Dergisi, cilt.7, sa.1, ss.56-80, 2025 (Hakemli Dergi)
German foreign policy towards Israel has been shaped by its historical and moral responsibility stemming from the Holocaust, with German governments creating a special relationship with Israel as a fundamental aspect of the post-war German national role conception. Germany has also assigned itself the role of a protector of Israel and committed to ensuring Israel’s security as a component of Germany’s reason of state (Staatsraison). Although this support has not been absolute or limitless and Germany has, as a founding member of the European Union, aligned its foreign policies with other European countries, this special relationship has nonetheless significantly influenced German foreign policy, particularly concerning the Palestine-Israel conflict. The catastrophic Gaza war that started in October 2023 has once again tested Germany’s special relationship with Israel. Despite substantial casualties on the Palestinian side, Germany has given strong support to Israel by affirming its right to self-defense, endorsing Israel in UN resolutions, increasing its arms exports to Israel, and supporting Israel in the international arena. However, these policies have jeopardized Germany’s international image and provoked extensive criticisms of moral and strategic blindness. This article seeks to analyze the impact of the special relationship and Staatsraison on Germany’s foreign policy towards the recent Gaza war, using Kalevi Holsti’s (1970) national role conception as a conceptual framework. While not unconditional and unlimited, the recent Gaza War demonstrates that Germany’s special relationship with Israel, which has been strengthened and deepened over decades, remains intact, even in the face of harsh criticism. Keywords: German Foreign Policy, German-Israeli Relations, Staatsraison, Gaza War, National Role Conception