This discusses the meaning of the maxim of Staatsräson which has been used frequently by German government representatives in response to the Hamas atrocities vis-à-vis Israel on 7th October 2023. While reference to the maxim has been recurring in German political discourse, it’s meaning and implication remain widely unknown, especially – albeit not exclusively – outside a German context. To explore the norm’s actual meaning-in-use the paper turns to norms research in International Relations (IR). Against that background, Staatsräson is defined as a fundamental norm which carries relatively broad moral reach, yet fairly unspecified behavioural instructions. Unless further specified or explained, therefore, the degree of contestation generated by the norm’s use is expected to be high. Two scenarios are possible then. In the best-case scenario public institutions facilitate proactive contestation by way of engaged and constructive public debate. By contrast, in the worst-case scenario where such constructive dialogue is not facilitated, objection expressed as reactive contestation is expected to generate resentment, uncertainty, and potentially conflict. In order to identify the norm’s actual meaning and possible effect the paper undertakes an assessment of the norm’s meanings-in-use from different analytical angles, including history, media, and science.