A new survey released found that 62% of German voters believe Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute genocide and are putting pressure on Prime Minister Friedrich Merz’s government to reassess their stance on Israel.
A representative poll conducted by YouGov showed that sentiment crossed political boundaries and that 60% of Merz’s conservative CDU/CSU bloc voters watch Israeli military campaigns as genocide against Palestinians. The figure was even higher at 71% among coalition partner Social Democrats (SPD).
Prime Minister Mertz and Foreign Minister Johan Wadehul have recently sharpened criticism of Israel’s military attacks and the blockade of humanitarian assistance against Gaza, but they have so far expelled them using the term “genocide,” referring to the use of “unbalanced” force by Israeli forces.
According to the survey, two-thirds of Germans (67%) now have negative or slightly negative opinions of Israel. Only one in five respondents (19%) express a positive or somewhat positive view, indicating a significant decline in public perceptions of Israel in recent months.
A typical study reveals a major gap between German government policies and public opinion regarding the Palestinian state. Despite the Merz government opposed the recognition of the Palestinian state, 44% of German voters supported this perception, up from 40% from 41% in May 2025.
Germany has been found internationally isolated this week as France, the UK and several other European partners, including Belgium, Portugal and Malta, announced their recognition of the Palestinian state and Berlin has opposed immediate recognition.
Last week, Prime Minister Mertz argued that Berlin supports two states’ solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but believes that the Palestinian state’s perception should be the result of diplomatic negotiations, not a prerequisite for the peace process.
Merz has repeatedly highlighted Germany’s historical responsibility for Israel because of the country’s Nazi past, and opposed the proposal to sanctions against the Netanyahu government, designed to pressure Tel Aviv to end a brutal military campaign in Gaza that has claimed the lives of more than 65,000 Palestinians since October 2023.