In Jerusalem, Merz Reaffirms Germany’s Support for Israel

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz reaffirmed Berlin’s support for Israel during a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem on Sunday ahead of talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Merz arrived in Israel the previous day on his first visit to the country since traditionally strong ties between the two nations were strained by the Gaza war.

During the visit to Yad Vashem, Merz said that Germany must stand up for the existence and security of Israel, while acknowledging his country’s enduring historical responsibility for the mass extermination of Jews during the Second World War.

The German leader arrived on Saturday and was met at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who described Merz as a friend of Israel. He later met Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem the same day.

Merz said it was a great honour to be there and to reaffirm that standing by Israel is and will remain an unchanging core principle of the Federal Republic of Germany’s policy.

Given the legacy of Nazi Germany’s industrial-scale murder of Jews, German leaders have long regarded unwavering support for Israel as a foundation of the country’s foreign policy.

Earlier on Saturday, Merz held talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah II during a brief stopover. He said the discussions focused largely on the peace process in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Merz called for increased humanitarian aid to reach the Gaza Strip and for Hamas fighters to lay down their weapons, adding that both Jordan and Germany remained committed to a negotiated two-state solution.

He said there could be no place for terrorism and antisemitism in a shared future.

Jordan’s royal palace said King Abdullah stressed the need to commit to implementing all stages of the agreement to end the war and to deliver humanitarian aid to all areas of the Gaza Strip. The king also warned of the danger of continued Israeli escalations in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967.

Hamas’s lead negotiator and Gaza chief Khalil al-Hayya said on Saturday that the group was ready to hand over its weapons in the Gaza Strip to a future Palestinian government, provided Israel’s occupation had ended. He also said Hamas would accept the deployment of United Nations forces as a separation force to ensure the ceasefire, but rejected any international force tasked with disarming the group.

Israeli-German relations were strained during the Gaza war, with Merz, who took office in May, repeatedly criticising Israel’s military campaign, which has killed more than 70,350 Palestinians according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, figures regarded as credible by the United Nations.

The war began with the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, which killed 1,221 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

In August, Merz moved to restrict German weapons sales for use in Gaza. Since a fragile United States-backed ceasefire and hostage agreement halted full-scale fighting, Germany has lifted those export restrictions.

Despite the ceasefire, more than 360 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to local health authorities, along with three Israeli soldiers.

Merz said on Saturday that the actions of the Israeli army in Gaza had posed dilemmas for Germany and that Berlin had responded to them, but added that Israel has the right to defend itself.

Although Merz’s public criticism of Israel was unusual for a German leader, it was moderate by international standards. German officials have nevertheless said there are currently no plans to invite Netanyahu to Berlin.

The Israeli prime minister faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court over alleged war crimes in Gaza, although earlier this year Merz said he would invite Netanyahu and assured him he would not be arrested.

German-Israeli military ties have continued without disruption. Germany last week put into operation the first phase of the Israeli-made Arrow missile defence system, in a deal reportedly worth 4.5 billion dollars and described as the largest arms export agreement in Israeli history.

Before leaving Berlin, Merz also spoke with Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas. A spokesman said Merz reaffirmed Germany’s support for a two-state solution and urged Abbas to carry out urgently needed reforms of the Palestinian Authority to play a constructive role in the post-war order.

Khaborwala/SS