Germany ‘more than concerned' about Israel's activity in Gaza
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticised on Tuesday Israel's activity in Gaza saying his country is 'more than concerned'.
He added that "what has happened in the last few days does not appear necessary to fight Hamas terrorism and protect Israel's existence."
The German official's denouncing remarks come a day after he had also spoken about the suffering of the civilians in Gaza , as he said on Monday that the harm Palestinians are subjected to in the Strip could no longer be justified as a fight against Hamas.
"When boundaries are crossed, where humanitarian international law is really being violated, then Germany too, then the German chancellor too must say something about it," Merz told broadcaster WDR in a televised interview.
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As early as November 2023, Israel could have reached a deal to free all the hostages, while various proposals have been advanced to settle the conflict, including bringing in other entities, such as the Palestinian Authority, to govern Gaza. But Israel's real objective is clear: to empty Gaza of its population. As Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's recent statements candidly reveal, the true aim of the war is to conquer Gaza, expel its Palestinian residents, and occupy the territory. This was the original intention all along. Strategic failures This has resulted in two strategic failures for Israel. Firstly, it has failed to compel Egypt and Jordan to participate in this scheme and accept Palestinian refugees. Israel's second failure is moral. The government and Israeli society itself have normalised a narrative of genocide and ethnic cleansing, defending this stance with euphemisms like 'voluntary migration' and 'encouraging relocation'. 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But still, the public backlash against Golan's remarks took its toll: days later, in a televised interview, he declared that Israel 'has not committed war crimes in Gaza'. During a visit to the southern city of Beersheba on Tuesday, angry Zionist crowds heckled and booed Golan, who - despite retracting his earlier statements - is now being portrayed around the world as a supposed alternative to Netanyahu, even though he offers no real alternative. Regrettably, this is likely to be the future: the West will scavenge for Israeli movements and leaders who speak out against the war, without offering a genuine moral alternative. Similar to the periods after the First and Second Intifadas, millions of dollars will flow into Israel's 'peace industry', which will talk about Arabs and Jews living together, without confronting the essential political questions that brought us to this reality. In the meantime, we must support every statement and initiative that contributes to ending the war - because what matters now is Gaza, and not only the children of Gaza, but also the youths, the women, the men and the elderly. To prevent further disaster, we must demand more from Israelis, including a real acknowledgment of their actions over the past 600 days. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
