German Chancellor Friedrich Merz reiterated Germany’s support for Israel during a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem on Sunday, ahead of discussions with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The visit marked Merz’s first trip to Israel since relations between the two countries were affected by the Gaza war, after he arrived in the country on Saturday.
At Yad Vashem, Merz said Germany must defend Israel’s existence and security, while recognising Germany’s lasting historical responsibility for the mass killing of Jews during the Second World War.
He arrived on Saturday and was welcomed at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who referred to him as a friend of Israel. Merz later met President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem.
Merz said it was a great honour to be in Israel and to restate that standing with the country remains a constant core principle of German policy.
Because of the crimes of Nazi Germany against Jews, successive German leaders have viewed firm support for Israel as a cornerstone of the nation’s foreign policy.
Earlier on Saturday, Merz held talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah II during a short stopover, telling reporters that their discussions focused largely on the peace process involving Israel and the Palestinian territories.
He called for greater humanitarian assistance to be allowed into Gaza and urged Hamas fighters to lay down their arms, saying that both Jordan and Germany remained committed to a negotiated two-state solution.
Merz said there could be no room for terrorism or antisemitism in any shared future.
According to a statement from Jordan’s royal palace, King Abdullah stressed the importance of implementing all phases of the agreement to end the war and ensuring humanitarian aid reached all areas of the Gaza Strip. The king also warned of the risks posed by continued Israeli escalations in the West Bank, occupied by Israel since 1967.
On Saturday, Hamas lead negotiator and Gaza chief Khalil al-Hayya said the group was prepared to hand over its weapons in the Gaza Strip to a future Palestinian government if Israel’s occupation ended. He added that Hamas would accept the deployment of United Nations forces to help guarantee a ceasefire, but rejected any international mission aimed at disarming the group.
Relations between Israel and Germany were tested during the Gaza conflict, with Merz, who assumed office in May, criticising Israel’s military operations that have killed more than 70,350 Palestinians, according to health authorities in the Hamas-run territory, figures considered credible by the United Nations.
The conflict was triggered by the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, which killed 1,221 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli data.
In August, Merz restricted German weapons exports for use in Gaza, but those limits have since been lifted following a fragile United States-backed ceasefire and hostage agreement that halted full-scale fighting.
Even after the ceasefire, local health authorities say more than 360 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, along with three Israeli soldiers.
Merz said the actions of the Israeli military in Gaza had presented Germany with difficult questions, adding that Berlin had responded to them, but stressed that Israel has the right to defend itself.
While Merz’s criticism of Israel was unusual for a German leader, it remained restrained by international standards. German officials have said there are currently no plans to invite Netanyahu to Berlin.
Netanyahu is the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant over alleged war crimes in Gaza, though earlier this year Merz said he would invite the Israeli leader and assured him he would not face arrest.
Military cooperation between Germany and Israel has remained strong, with Germany last week activating the first phase of the Israeli-made Arrow missile defence system, a deal reported to be worth 4.5 billion dollars and the largest arms export agreement in Israel’s history.
Before departing Berlin, Merz also held talks with Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas. A spokesman said Merz reiterated support for a two-state solution and urged Abbas to implement urgently needed reforms so the Palestinian Authority could play a constructive role in the post-war order.
Glive24/SS