UN court: Germany defends arms exports to Israel

International law

UN court: Germany defends arms exports to Israel

Germany emphasizes to the International Court of Justice that its arms exports to Israel comply with international requirements. The judges must decide whether the main proceedings will take place.

Germany has taken its arms exports to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Israel defended as compatible with international law. “All German arms exports to Israel and other countries are subject to strict testing procedures that are stricter than international regulations,” said German chief lawyer Julia Monar at the beginning of a hearing in The Hague.

Nicaragua had taken Germany to court with a lawsuit alleging complicity in genocide. The arms exports therefore violate the Genocide Convention, since the exported material from Israel was used in the attacks in Gaza Strip would be used.

At the start of the hearing, which lasted several days, the German legal representative rejected the Central American country’s allegations as baseless. The comprehensive documentation that Germany publishes on its arms exports shows that these are in accordance with international law. Germany has its arms exports taking into account the specific situation Middle East conflict temporarily also restricted. Monar demanded that the court reject Nicaragua’s demand for a stop to German arms exports.

The German lawyer also reiterated the view that the court has no authority in this matter. “Neither Nicaragua nor Germany are directly involved in the conflict that is the real subject of the present proceedings, namely the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” For the first time in its history, the Court is being asked to rule on a case that has nothing to do with disputes between states, for which the Court actually has jurisdiction.

Nicaragua also failed to properly notify Germany and gave the country less than a month to respond before initiating the proceedings, Germany’s chief lawyer said. This suggests that Nicaragua was not interested in listening to Germany’s point of view, but only in bringing Germany to the court, Monar said. States are typically expected to attempt to resolve disputes before bringing them to court.

Germany won the first round of this process in 2024. The highest judges of the U.N. At that time, they rejected an urgent application from Nicaragua. After the decision, Germany did not have to immediately stop its arms exports to Israel. However, the judges did not comply with Germany’s demand to completely dismiss Nicaragua’s lawsuit.