Germany's grand coalition government is heading for a split over whether or not to send troops to the Middle East as part of a UN peacekeeping force.
After weeks of dodging the sensitive issue, Social Democrat (SPD) leader Kurt Beck has become the first political heavyweight to come out in favour of including German soldiers in the 15,000-strong Unifil force in Lebanon. "There certainly cannot be a 'no' from Germany," he said.
"Naturally we have to make our contribution." He has received the backing of two cabinet ministers, defence minister Franz Josef Jung and interior minister Wolfgang Schäuble, but his remarks have caused unrest among the SPD left-wing, which has criticised Israel's tactics in its war with Hizbullah.
"A good third of the parliamentary party would have a great, great difficulty with German military involvement," said Mr Ludwig Stiegler, a member of the SPD executive committee.
SPD left-wing spokesman Dieter Rossmann said a large number of MPs were concerned that an armed deployment could not be ruled out, opening the possibility that armed German soldiers "might have to shoot on Israeli soldiers".
SPD left-wingers as well as leading members of their Christian Democrat (CDU) coalition partners oppose a German deployment in Israel for historical reasons, but logistics play a part too, with 7,700 German soldiers already serving in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kosovo and Congo.
"This is a matter for other nations," said Bavarian leader Edmund Stoiber on German television. "Germany should be extraordinarily cautious. We have reached capacity limits. And because of historical reasons, we have to help Israel in ways other than militarily."
Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert said in two separate German newspaper interviews last week he would have no problem with a German presence in the region. Chancellor Angela Merkel has made carefully balance remarks so far, reinforcing Germany's support for Israel but stressing its international responsibilities too.
With Dr Merkel on holidays, her deputy leader Ronald Pofalla said yesterday that a German presence in the Middle East was not likely as the contingent was already "exhausted" by other missions. He was contradicted by Germany's highest-ranking officer, Insp General Wolfgang Schneiderhan.
"It would certainly be a considerable encumbrance . . . but I have to say that we aren't stretched to the limits in all areas," he said to the Berliner Zeitung newspaper.