Merz slams Israeli actions in Gaza as German criticism mounts
Israel's actions in Gaza "can no longer be justified by the fight against Hamas terrorism," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday.
Speaking at a conference in Berlin, Merz said that Germany must exercise more restraint than any other country when commenting on Israel.
"But if lines are crossed, where international humanitarian law is really being violated, then Germany, the German chancellor, must also say something about it," Merz said.
While he emphasized the close relationship between Germany and Israel, Merz said "the Israeli government must not do anything that its best friends are no longer prepared to accept," highlighting the "suffering" of the civilian population in Gaza in recent days.
Israel has launched another offensive in Gaza, with dozens of deaths reported in the war-torn coastal territory daily.
The move has sparked international condemnation, amid warnings that the 2 million Palestinians in Gaza are facing the risk of starvation due to Israel's recent blockade of humanitarian aid.
Merz's comments came after a leading German foreign policy expert said public criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza by the country's allies has had "zero" effect in protecting Palestinian lives.
Armin Laschet told broadcaster ZDF on Monday that a joint statement issued last week by Britain, France and Canada calling Israel's escalation of military activity in Gaza "disproportionate" had no impact in ending the conflict or ensuring humanitarian aid could reach the territory.
Laschet, the chairman of the foreign affairs committee in the Bundestag, Germany's lower house of parliament, said the new conservative-led German government's "quiet diplomacy" and "clear words" to Israel were "more effective than constant resolutions and pithy slogans."
Germany has taken a more cautious approach than other EU states in criticizing Israel during the war in Gaza, which broke out in 2023 following the October 7 attacks by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Berlin sees Israeli security as a "reason of state" due to Germany's historic responsibility for the Holocaust.
However, Laschet insisted that the term "doesn't mean you can't criticize Israel, you can't demand aid deliveries, you can't criticize the prime minister."
"You can do all that," said Laschet. "You can also say that the government has right-wing extremist ministers, you can also say that the war aims are wrong."
The German government's anti-Semitism commissioner, Felix Klein, expressed a similar view on Monday in an interview with the rbb radio station.
"We must learn to distinguish between the actions of the Israeli government and Israel as a whole, there are big differences," said Klein.
However, he rejected a call by centre-left lawmakers in the Bundestag to end German arms exports to Israel.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul also rejected a Spanish proposal for an arms embargo on Israel during a visit to Madrid on Monday.
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