German government takes tougher tone with Israel – DW – 08/02/2025
After his talks with Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu and representatives from the United Nations in Jerusalem, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul tried to put more pressure on the Israeli government.
On Friday he made an urgent appeal to the Israelis: The government should immediately allow the UN to help the hungry people in Gaza.
"That is why we call on Israel to allow the UN to transport and distribute the aid safely," Wadephul said, while in Jerusalem. "This was also part of my discussion with the Israeli government yesterday. The humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip must be ended now, with the help of the efficient, established UN system."
The day before Wadephul had described the situation in Gaza in dramatic tones. The death and suffering there was "unimaginable," he said. Wadephul also appealed to the militant group Hamas, asking them to stop fighting and to return all the hostages they still held. Hamas is classified as a terrorist organization by Germany, the US, Israel and other countries.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Israel's foreign minister Gideon Saar didn't publicly express an opinion on Germany's suggestions. But Wadephul told reporters he thought Germany's message had been understood.
Saar did reject accusations from his colleague in the Israeli government, the far-right extremist Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel's minister of national security. On social media platform X, Ben-Gvir said that 80 years after the Holocaust, Germany was once again supporting Nazis.
Before he left Germany, Wadephul had warned that Israel was becoming increasingly isolated internationally. He also said Berlin would respond to any unilateral actions by Israel and was critical of potential Israeli plans to annex the occupied West Bank.
Israel's Saar answered Ben-Gvir on social media too. "I strongly reject Minister Ben-Gvir's statements about Germany. They are unnecessary and harmful. Germany is a friendly country and Foreign Minister Wadephul is a friend of Israel. This does not change, even when there are differences of opinion between us."
Germany is still pushing for a two-state solution to the intractable problems in the Middle East. Wadephul confirmed the right of the Palestinians to their own state after he met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday. However Netanyahu's government has rejected that idea in the recent past. Even as Germany criticizes the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, Israel's foreign minister sees the settlements as justified.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had sent Wadephul to Israel after a meeting of the country's so-called security cabinet. This group includes the ministers of foreign affairs, defense, interior and finance, as well as various intelligence services. Wadephul's mission was to make it clear that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza must be resolved and he was also to assess whether and how the Israeli government could be convinced to do this. Over this weekend, he is to report back to the Chancellor and the security cabinet.
The results of this are hard to predict. Whether the German government would use sanctions against Israel, stop weapons deliveries or recognize a Palestinian state is unclear. However observers in Berlin says it's unlikely any concrete steps will be taken, because of Germany's special responsibility towards Israel, after committing the Holocaust.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Criticism is likely but sanctions won't happen, says Martin Huber, the secretary general of the conservative, Bavaria-based Christian Social Union, or CSU. Even so, the tone German politicians are using is becoming sharper, as more and more pictures of starving children in Gaza emerge.
The leader of the Social Democrats' parliamentary group, Dirk Wiese, told local journalists that the time for talk has passed. "We need political pressure and concrete progress," he said. The Social Democrats are part of Germany's governing coalition together with the CSU and the Christian Democratic Union, or CDU.
Up until now the German government has been holding back, Andreas Reinicke, the director of the German Orient-Institute, told public radio Deutschlandfunk. But that's for good reasons, he argued, in reference to the Holocaust. However if the world now really wants a two-state solution, "then we will have to do this not only verbally, but also with an active process," Reinicke said. "I believe Germany's influence [on Israel] is greater than is commonly assumed."
Meanwhile the Israeli government disputes that locals in Gaza are going hungry and insists that the siltation is actually better than depicted in the international press. Foreign Minister Saar accused media of showing misleading pictures of hungry children. "This is what a modern blood libel looks like," he wrote on social media platform X, referring to a-now-well-known picture of Osama al-Raqab, an emaciated 5-year-old. Al-Raqab has cystic fibrosis and was evacuated to Italy in June, Saar pointed out.
The Israeli government's position on the issue is in opposition to what international aid agencies have observed and eyewitnesses have reported.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Wadephul also said that the thesis often insisted upon by the Israeli government — that Hamas will benefit from any aid shipments they allow in — is no longer justified. It could well be that Hamas previously diverted some of the shipments, he said. "But the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip is now so great that it is not justified to put up further hurdles here," Wadephul insisted.
Another contentious point: While the German foreign minister and others argue that the UN and the World Food Program should be taking care of supplies into Gaza, Israel and its main ally, the US, insist the newly created and increasingly controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, or GHF should be.
On Friday, Steve Witkoff, the US special envoy to the Middle East, demonstratively visited a GHF aid distribution site near Rafah, in Gaza. The US ambassador in Israel, Mike Huckabee, claims the GHF has given out 100 million meals in two months.
However the UN and other aid organizations say the GHF is not working properly. During past weeks, there have been reports of hundreds of people killed or wounded while trying to get aid from the GHF.
On Friday, the German air force began to help, dropping palettes of aid into the Gaza Strip, flying out of Jordan. However even Germany's foreign minister considers this more a symbolic than anything particularly helpful. The crucial thing now is to send hundreds of trucks carrying food into the Gaza Strip daily, Wadephul said while in Jerusalem.To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Int'l Business Times
2 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
Gaza War Deepens Israel's Divides
As it grinds on well into its twenty-second month, Israel's war in Gaza has set friends and families against one another and sharpened existing political and cultural divides. Hostage families and peace activists want Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to secure a ceasefire with Hamas and free the remaining captives abducted during the October 2023 Hamas attacks. Right-wing members of Netanyahu's cabinet, meanwhile, want to seize the moment to occupy and annex more Palestinian land, at the risk of sparking further international criticism. The debate has divided the country and strained private relationships, undermining national unity at Israel's moment of greatest need in the midst of its longest war. "As the war continues we become more and more divided," said Emanuel Yitzchak Levi, a 29-year-old poet, schoolteacher and peace activist from Israel's religious left who attended a peace meeting at Tel Aviv's Dizengoff Square. "It's really hard to keep being a friend, or family, a good son, a good brother to someone that's -- from your point of view -- supporting crimes against humanity," he told AFP. "And I think it's also hard for them to support me if they think I betrayed my own country." As if to underline this point, a tall, dark-haired cyclist angered by the gathering pulled up his bike to shout "traitors" at the attendees and to accuse activists of playing into Hamas's hands. Dvir Berko, a 36-year-old worker at one of the city's many IT startups, paused his scooter journey across downtown Tel Aviv to share a more reasoned critique of the peace activists' call for a ceasefire. Berko and others accused international bodies of exaggerating the threat of starvation in Gaza, and he told AFP that Israel should withhold aid until the remaining 49 hostages are freed. "The Palestinian people, they're controlled by Hamas. Hamas takes their food. Hamas starts this war and, in every war that happens, bad things are going to happen. You're not going to send the other side flowers," he argued. "So, if they open a war, they should realise and understand what's going to happen after they open the war." The raised voices in Tel Aviv reflect a deepening polarisation in Israeli society since Hamas's October 2023 attacks left 1,219 people dead, independent journalist Meron Rapoport told AFP. Rapoport, a former senior editor at liberal daily Haaretz, noted that Israel had been divided before the latest conflict, and had even seen huge anti-corruption protests against Netanyahu and perceived threats to judicial independence. Hamas's attack initially triggered a wave of national unity, but as the conflict has dragged on and Israel's conduct has come under international criticism, attitudes on the right and left have diverged and hardened. "The moment Hamas acted there was a coming together," Rapoport said. "Nearly everyone saw it as a just war. "As the war went on it has made people come to the conclusion that the central motivations are not military reasons but political ones." According to a survey conducted between July 24 and 28 by the Institute for National Security Studies, with 803 Jewish and 151 Arab respondents, Israelis narrowly see Hamas as primarily to blame for the delay in reaching a deal on freeing the hostages. Only 24 percent of Israeli Jews are distressed or "very distressed" by the humanitarian situation in Gaza -- where, according to UN-mandated reports, "a famine is unfolding" and Palestinian civilians are often killed while seeking food. But there is support for the families of the Israeli hostages, many of whom have accused Netanyahu of prolonging the war artificially to strengthen his own political position. "In Israel there's a mandatory army service," said Mika Almog, 50, an author and peace activist with the It's Time Coalition. "So these soldiers are our children and they are being sent to die in a false criminal war that is still going on for nothing other than political reasons." In an open letter published Monday, 550 former top diplomats, military officers and spy chiefs urged US President Donald Trump to tell Netanyahu that the military stage of the war was already won and he must now focus on a hostage deal. "At first this war was a just war, a defensive war, but when we achieved all military objectives, this war ceased to be a just war," said Ami Ayalon, former director of the Shin Bet security service. The conflict "is leading the State of Israel to lose its security and identity", he warned in a video released to accompany the letter. This declaration by the security officers -- those who until recently prosecuted Israel's overt and clandestine wars -- echoed the views of the veteran peace activists that have long protested against them. Biblical archaeologist and kibbutz resident Avi Ofer is 70 years old and has long campaigned for peace between Israelis and Palestinians. He and fellow activists wore yellow ribbons with the length in days of the war written on it: "667". The rangy historian was close to tears as he told AFP: "This is the most awful period in my life." "Yes, Hamas are war criminals. We know what they do. The war was justified at first. At the beginning it was not a genocide," he said. Not many Israelis use the term "genocide", but they are aware that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is considering whether to rule on a complaint that the country has breached the Genocide Convention. While only a few are anguished about the threat of starvation and violence hanging over their neighbours, many are worried that Israel may become an international pariah -- and that their conscript sons and daughters be treated like war crimes suspects when abroad. Israel and Netanyahu -- with support from the United States -- have denounced the case in The Hague. A demonstrator wearing a mask depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with an elongated nose, evoking the literary character Pinocchio, poses above another lying on the ground while depicting an Israeli hostage during an anti-government protest calling for action to secure the release of Israeli hostages held captive in the Gaza Strip by Palestinian militants since the 2023 October 7 attacks, outside the Israeli Defence Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv on August 2, 2025. AFP Israeli right-wing protesters gather on a hill overlooking Gaza to call for the re-occupation of the territory AFP
Int'l Business Times
2 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
Decision Time As Plastic Pollution Treaty Talks Begin
Countries were to start the clock Tuesday on 10 days of talks aimed at hammering out a landmark global treaty on combating the scourge of plastic pollution. Three years of negotiations hit the wall in South Korea in December when a group of oil-producing states blocked a consensus. Since the failure in Busan, countries have been working behind the scenes and are giving it another go in Geneva, in talks at the United Nations. Key figures steering the negotiations said they were not expecting an easy ride this time round, but insisted a deal remained within reach. "There's been extensive diplomacy from Busan till now," UN Environment Programme executive director Inger Andersen told AFP. UNEP is hosting the talks, and Andersen said conversations across, between and among different regions and interest groups had generated momentum. "Most countries, actually, that I have spoken with have said: 'We're coming to Geneva to strike the deal'. "Will it be easy? No. Will it be straightforward? No. Is there a pathway for a deal? Absolutely." Plastic pollution is so ubiquitous that microplastics have been found on the highest mountain peaks, in the deepest ocean trench and scattered throughout almost every part of the human body. In 2022, countries agreed they would find a way to address the crisis by the end of 2024. However, the supposedly final round of negotiations on a legally-binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the seas, flopped in Busan. One group of countries sought an ambitious deal to limit production and phase out harmful chemicals. But a clutch of mostly oil-producing nations rejected production limits and wanted to focus more narrowly on treating waste. Ecuadoran diplomat Luis Vayas Valdivieso, chairing the talks process, said an effective, fair and ambitious agreement was now within reach. "Our paths and positions might differ; our destination is the same," he said Monday. "We are all here because we believe in a shared cause: a world free of plastic pollution." More than 600 non-governmental organisations are attending the Geneva talks. Valdivieso said lessons had been learned from Busan, and NGOs and civil society would now have access to the discussions tackling the thorniest points, such as banning certain chemicals and capping production. "To solve the plastic pollution crisis, we have to stop making so much plastic," Greenpeace delegation chief Graham Forbes told AFP. The group and its allies want a treaty "that cuts plastic production, eliminates toxic chemicals, and provides the financing that's going to be required to transition to a fossil fuel, plastic-free future", he said. "The fossil fuel industry is here in force," he noted, adding: "We cannot let a few countries determine humanity's future when it comes to plastic pollution." Well over 400 million tonnes of plastic are produced globally each year, half of which is for single-use items. While 15 percent of plastic waste is collected for recycling, only nine percent is actually recycled. Nearly half, 46 percent, ends up in landfills, while 17 percent is incinerated and 22 percent is mismanaged and becomes litter. A report in The Lancet medical journal warned Monday that plastic pollution was a "grave, growing and under-recognised danger" to health, costing the world at least $1.5 trillion a year in health-related economic losses. The new review of existing evidence, conducted by leading health researchers and doctors, compared plastic to air pollution and lead, saying its impact on health could be mitigated by laws and policies. To hammer home the message, a replica outside the UN of Auguste Rodin's famous sculpture "The Thinker" will be slowly submerged in mounting plastic rubbish during the talks. The artwork, entitled "The Thinker's Burden", is being constructed by the Canadian artist and activist Benjamin Von Wong. "If you want to protect health, then we need to think about the toxic chemicals that are entering our environment," he told AFP. But Matthew Kastner, spokesman for the American Chemistry Council, said the plastics industry and the products it makes were "vital to public health", notably through medical devices, surgical masks, child safety seats, helmets and pipes delivering clean water. Outside the UN, Canadian activist Benjamin Von Wong's artwork 'The Thinker's Burden' is being slowly submerged in plastic rubbish AFP Plastic waste has been found from the bottom of the seas to the tops of mountains AFP Nations are trying to secure the world's first treaty on plastic pollution AFP Benjamin Von Wong's artwork 'The Thinker's Burden' is being built up outside the United Nations during the negotiations AFP
Int'l Business Times
2 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
Trump Tariffs Don't Spare His Fans In EU
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban promised that the return of his "dear friend" Donald Trump as US president would usher in a new "golden age". But trade unionist Zoltan Laszlo says Hungary's auto industry has seen the opposite as the United States announced new tariffs, with order cancellations and workflow disruptions marking employees' day-to-day experience. With tariff rates rising from 2.5 percent before Trump's return to around 25 percent and finally to 15 percent, the "American tariff slalom" has caused nothing but chaos in the car industry, said Laszlo, who represents workers at Mexican automotive parts manufacturer Nemak's Hungarian plant. In recent years, Hungary and neighbouring Slovakia have become European manufacturing hubs for global car brands seeking lower labour costs, including British Jaguar Land Rover, German Mercedes and Japanese Suzuki. But due to the export-oriented nature of their automotive sectors, catering in part to the US market, they are among those EU nations hardest-hit by the latest tariffs slated to kick in on August 7. Despite hailing Trump's comeback and visiting him twice at his Mar-a-Lago luxury estate last year, Orban -- his closest EU ally -- was not spared the pain. Neither were more favourable conditions extended to Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, whose country is the world's largest automobile manufacturer per capita. According to analyst Matej Hornak, the incoming tariffs won't bode well. He warns of a drop in exports amounting to "several hundred million euros" and the loss of "10,000-12,000" jobs in the sector. After the announcement of the EU-US trade deal, Orban was quick to apportion blame to EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, saying Trump "ate" her "for breakfast". But in April, the mayor of the Hungarian city of Gyor, whose strong economic growth is closely linked to its car manufacturing plants, had already warned of possible cutbacks and layoffs. For the city, which is home to various global brands and more than a dozen different parts and component suppliers including Nemak, the fresh tariffs are a disaster. As one of the biggest employers in Hungary, German carmaker Volkswagen alone provides jobs for more than 12,000 people. Its main engine factory in Gyor produces some Audi-branded vehicles directly for the US market. The Hungarian government has said that it is still assessing the impact of the tariff rates, vowing that upcoming business deals with Washington could mitigate the negative effects of Trump's "America first" policy. But more headwinds are ahead for Hungary and Slovakia, said Brussels-based geopolitical analyst Botond Feledy. "When it comes to European dealmaking, Trump now prioritises more geopolitically influential figures -- the main option for smaller nations such as Slovakia and Hungary is to join forces with others," he told AFP. But the "aggressive posturing" in the same vein of Trump's protectionist policies both countries adopted in recent months have isolated them among fellow EU countries, making compromises difficult, the expert added. Moreover, the stakes are high for Orban, whose 15-year rule has recently been challenged by former government insider-turned-rival Peter Magyar ahead of elections scheduled for next spring. "Dissatisfaction with the standard of living has made voters more critical, which is also reflected in the popularity ratings of the governing parties," said economist Zoltan Pogatsa, adding that "Hungary has been in a state of near stagnation for many years now". This year's economic "flying start" touted by Orban did not materialise, with the government further lowering the country's growth goal from the initial 3.4 to one percent. "So far, Trump's second presidency has only impacted the Hungarian economy through his tariff policy, which has been negative," Pogatsa added. At the Nemak plant, a recent warning strike has led to management promising to sort out the unpredictable work schedules caused by the tariff changes, which were "unhealthy and physically unbearable" and made "family and private life become incompatible with work", said Laszlo. Some Audi vehicles manufactured in Gyor are exported to the United States AFP Orban during a visit to Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate during the 2024 US presidential campaign AFP US tariffs could cost up to 12,000 jobs in the Hungarian and Slovak auto sector, according to one analyst AFP Instead of a 'flying start' to the Hungarian economy promised by Orban the government has had to put price controls on some food products as it seeks to contain public anger over inflation ahead of elections next year AFP
