Ben Gvir: 'Germany back to supporting Nazis 80 years after the Holocaust'
Ben Gvir's inflammatory comment comes despite Germany being one of Israel's strongest backers after the United States, and a key supplier of military and diplomatic support during its ongoing war on Gaza.
'Eighty years after the Holocaust, Germany is once again siding with the Nazis,' Ben Gvir claimed, in response to growing international momentum for Palestinian statehood. His statement aligns with recent remarks by the Israeli Knesset speaker at the United Nations, opposing a global diplomatic push led by Saudi Arabia and France.
80 שנה לשואה, וגרמניה חוזרת לתמוך בנאציזם — איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) July 31, 2025
That initiative culminated in a two-state solution conference in New York, where 16 countries signaled plans to jointly recognize the State of Palestine by September in a move to resolve the decades-long conflict.
Israeli officials have lashed out at recent efforts by France, the UK, Canada, and Germany to support Palestinian statehood, characterizing such moves as betrayal.
The backlash comes as Gaza faces a deepening humanitarian catastrophe. The Gaza Health Ministry reported on Wednesday that the number of Palestinians who have died from famine has reached 159, including 90 children, with two more deaths, one of them a child, recorded in the last 24 hours.
At the same time, internal Israeli reports reflect growing concern about shifting international sentiment.
According to the Institute for National Security Studies in Israel, American public and congressional support for Israel's military actions in Gaza is waning. While President Donald Trump continue to back Israel unconditionally, the long-term outlook appears fragile.
In parallel, Israel's Defense and Justice Ministers issued a joint statement reinforcing their long-standing goal of asserting Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank. 'We must not miss the opportunity available now to impose full sovereignty,' they declared, revealing that maps and policy frameworks have already been prepared to support the move.
In an apparent bid to curb the mounting diplomatic fallout, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to meet with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Thursday evening, hoping to dissuade Berlin from joining what Israeli media has termed a "diplomatic tsunami" of recognition for a Palestinian state.
This latest escalation underscores growing global frustration with Israel's continued occupation and war in Gaza, and the deepening isolation of Israeli policy, one now increasingly seen as incompatible with international law and peace efforts.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Bawaba
an hour ago
- Al Bawaba
'No Special Treatment': Hamas sets terms as Netanyahu begs red cross for hostage aid
ALBAWABA - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been officially asked by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to help Israeli prisoners being held in Gaza by getting them food and medical care right away. This was done after troubling video footage showed that the prisoners' health was getting worse, especially the hostages Avitar David and Rom Braslavsky, who looked like they were seriously starved because of Gaza's growing humanitarian crisis. Netanyahu asked Julian Lirisson, who is in charge of the ICRC in Israel and the Palestinian areas, to let the prisoners be helped right away. He said that Hamas was behind a worldwide effort to spread false information about hunger in Gaza, saying that "our hostages are actually starving because they are being brutally abused physically and mentally." But quickly, Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed branch of Hamas, said through Abu Ubaida that they were ready to let the Red Cross deliver aid to the Israeli hostages—as long as Israel agreed to permanently open humanitarian corridors and stop attacking from the air while the aid was being delivered. Abu Ubaida made it clear that the prisoners are not being intentionally starved, but are simply living in the same difficult conditions as Hamas soldiers and the rest of the Palestinian people. "They eat what our fighters and people eat," he said, making it clear that the resistance would not give special treatment to them while more than two million people in Gaza are under lockdown. The statement also said that Israel's constant bombings and failure to allow regular entry for humanitarian groups have made things worse in Gaza and made it harder to help. ❗️Hamas is READY to deliver food to hostages with Red Cross On the condition that Israel allow 'food and medicine to ALL our people' in Gaza Evitar David's fate is back in Netanyahu's hands August 3, 2025 Families want a deal. Families of the hostages protested in Tel Aviv and asked the Netanyahu government to quickly come up with a way for their loved ones to be freed. The families were furious that the government had kept up the war and not been able to free the hostages, calling promises of a military answer a "deceptive illusion." Israeli media say that a lot of family members think that the only way to move forward is to negotiate a full exchange deal that stops the war and gets the prisoners home. Israel thinks that about 50 of its people are still being held captive in Gaza, and that about 20 of them are still living. Meanwhile, more than 10,800 Palestinians are being held in Israeli jails, where they are said to be tortured, starved, and not getting enough medical care. Many of them have died, according to reports from Palestinian and Israeli rights groups. Negotiations Held Up and Hamas's Offer Recent talks in Doha, which were handled by Qatar and Egypt and backed by the U.S., fell apart because Israel wouldn't change its mind about wanting to keep troops in Gaza, wouldn't end the war, and wouldn't accept key relief supplies. Hamas has said again that it is ready to free all Israeli hostages at once, but only if there is an end to the fighting, Israel leaves Gaza, and Palestinian prisoners are freed. But Netanyahu has kept adding new conditions, like silencing Palestinian groups and reclaiming control over Gaza, which make any possible deal even less likely. As pressure builds up at home and around the world, the humanitarian situation keeps getting worse. Hostages and bystanders are taking the brunt of the long-running war.
Jordan Times
4 hours ago
- Jordan Times
Jordan's support, active diplomacy strengthen calls for Palestinian State — analysts
AMMAN — Jordan's support for Palestinian rights is gaining new momentum as 15 European countries, including France, the UK, Spain, and the Netherlands, announced this week that they are considering formally recognising the State of Palestine ahead of the UN General Assembly in September. In a joint statement issued Wednesday, the countries described recognition as 'a fundamental step towards achieving a two-state solution,' and called on the international community to join in the push. The announcement drew immediate condemnation from Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, currently wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in Gaza, who labelled the move 'punishment for the victim' and warned that a Palestinian state would pose threat to Europe. Speaking at an international conference in New York attended by foreign ministers and senior diplomats, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi reaffirmed Jordan's long-standing position that a two-state solution is 'the only path to peace.' 'The devastation in Gaza is a grim testament to the international community's failure to uphold international law,' Safadi said. 'Undermining the two-state solution leaves only a deep-rooted discriminatory regime that erodes the last vestiges of legality.' Safadi welcomed the European initiative, particularly France's announcement, describing it as 'a clear stand with peace and legality,' and urged other nations to follow suit. The diplomatic shift has been welcomed by Palestinian officials. Hussein Sheikh, deputy head of the Palestinian Authority, praised the conference declaration, which included calls for recognition of Palestinian statehood, a revival of the two-state track, adherence to international law, and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Bader Madi, a political sociology professor, said the growing momentum reflects increasing international recogniton that occupation and peace cannot coexist. 'There is only one path to a just peace that ensures security and stability for our region: a two-state solution that ends occupation and establishes an independent, sovereign Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital,' Madi said. He warned that failure to act is already visible in Gaza's humanitarian catastrophe. 'Mothers are watching their children fade away without food, water, or medicine,' he said, adding that settlement expansion and violations in the West Bank are destroying any prospects for peace. Madi also cited regional concerns, pointing to Israeli strikes in Syria and violations of the ceasefire with Lebanon. He called for an immediate halt to the aggression in Gaza, the opening of all crossings for humanitarian aid, and the success of mediation efforts by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States to facilitate a prisoner exchange. Strategic and security analyst Omar Raddad said the European shift marks a significant departure from past positions, especially in capitals like London and Paris. 'These moves appear more serious than symbolic political gestures or responses to domestic public opinion,' Raddad noted. 'But their implementation will require time, Palestinian unity, and acceptance from both Israel and the United States.' He added that increased international pressure may be needed, but 'there are now genuine opportunities for tangible breakthroughs in favour of Palestinian statehood.' Raddad also linked the recognition efforts to broader plans for the post-war situation in Gaza, suggesting that continued recognition could help bring the conflict to an end. 'US envoy Amos Hochstein's recent visit included a comprehensive proposal, not just a truce, but a full package, suggesting potential U.S. engagement in a more permanent solution,' he said. As the UN General Assembly approaches, regional and international actors appear to be aligning for what could become a pivotal moment in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, one in which Jordan's consistent stance is playing a critical role.
Jordan Times
5 hours ago
- Jordan Times
Pope's 'Jubilee of Youth' ends with Rome mass for 1 million pilgrims
ROME — Pope Leo XIV presided over a final mass in Rome for over one million young people on Sunday, the culmination of a youth pilgrimage that has drawn Catholics from across the world. "Aspire to great things, to holiness, wherever you are. Do not settle for less," Pope Leo told the young people during his homily. The week-long pilgrimage ending Sunday, a highlight of the Jubilee holy year, was an enormous undertaking for the Vatican, with a half a million young pilgrims in Rome for most of the week. On Saturday night, before an twilight vigil led by the pope, organisers had confirmed the attendance of 800,000 people in the vast, open-air space on Rome's eastern outskirts, and on Sunday the Vatican said that number had grown to one million people. Most of those attending slept on the ground overnight in tents, in sleeping bags or or mats in anticipation of Sunday's mass. In his homily, the first American pope and former missionary encouraged the gathered youth to "spread your enthusiasm and the witness of your faith to everyone you meet!" The Vatican has sought to highlight pilgrims who managed to travel to Rome from war-torn regions, with Leo saying Sunday the Church and world's youth were with them in solidarity. "We are closer than ever to young people who suffer the most serious evils which are caused by other human beings," he said in his Angelus, speaking in English. "We are with the young people of Gaza. We are with the young people of Ukraine, with those of every land bloodied by war," said the pontiff, 69. "My young brothers and sisters, you are the sign that a different world is possible, a world of fraternity and friendship where conflicts are not resolved with weapons but with dialogue." Catholic 'Woodstock' The colourful event under sunny skies was accompanied by music from a choir, and about 450 bishops and 700 priests, all in green robes. A towering cross dominated the massive golden arch covering the stage where the pope led mass. The young pilgrims, hailing from 146 different countries, according to the Vatican, have filled Rome's streets since Monday, chanting, singing and waving flags of their countries. The festive atmosphere reached its peak Saturday ahead of an evening vigil presided over by Leo, with Italian broadcaster Rai dubbing it a Catholic "Woodstock". Hundreds of thousands of youths camped out at the dusty venue, strumming guitars or singing, others snoozing, as music blasted from the stage where a series of religious bands entertained the crowds. Leo was greeted with deafening screams and applause after his arrival by helicopter Saturday as he toured the grounds in his popemobile, with many people running to catch a better glimpse of the new American pope. At over 500,000 square metres, the grounds were the size of around 70 football fields. British student Andy Hewellyn had parked himself in front of a huge video screen -- a prime spot, as he could not even see the stage far away. "I'm so happy to be here, even if I'm a bit far from the pope. I knew what to expect!" he told AFP. "The main thing is that we're all together." The youth pilgrimage came about three months after the start of Leo's papacy and 25 years after former pope John Paul II organised the last such youth gathering in Rome. It was announced by former Pope Francis during World Youth Day in Lisbon in 2023. The Church planned a series of events for the young pilgrims over the course of the week, including turning the Circus Maximus, where chariot races were held in ancient Rome , into an open-air confessional.
