Latest news with #Staatsraeson
Ya Libnan
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Ya Libnan
Germany threatens steps against Israel as tone shifts over Gaza
A general view shows destruction in North Gaza, as seen from Israel, May 27. REUTERS/Amir Cohen Germany's foreign minister threatened unspecified measures against Israel on Tuesday and said Berlin would not export weapons used to break humanitarian law, as he and Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivered their most severe rebuke yet over Gaza. Germany, along with the United States, had long remained in support of Israel's conduct since the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas, even as Israel became increasingly isolated internationally. Its about-turn comes as the European Union is reviewing its Israel policy and Britain, France and Canada also threatened 'concrete actions' over Gaza. Speaking to broadcaster WDR, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul warned Germany's historic support for Israel must not be instrumentalized, as massive air strikes and shortages of food and medicines had made the situation in Gaza 'unbearable'. Earlier, Merz criticised air strikes on Gaza as no longer justified by the need to fight Hamas and 'no longer comprehensible', in comments at a press conference in Finland. While not a complete rupture, the shift in tone is significant in a country whose leadership follows a policy of special responsibility for Israel, known as the Staatsraeson. It also reflects a broader shift in German public opinion. 'Our committed fight against anti-Semitism and our full support for the right to exist and the security of the state of Israel must not be instrumentalized for the conflict and the warfare currently being waged in the Gaza Strip,' Wadephul said. 'We are now at a point where we have to think very carefully about what further steps to take,' he said, without giving further details. 'Where we see dangers of harm, we will of course intervene and certainly not supply weapons so that there will be further harm,' he said, adding that no new weapons orders were currently under consideration. The shift in government stance comes after calls among the junior coalition partner, the Social Democrats, to halt arms exports to Israel or else risk what the move's backers say would be German complicity in war crimes. WORSENING HUNGER AND STARVATION Attacks on Gaza killed hundreds in recent days, and the population of more than 2 million faces worsening hunger and starvation , according to a U.N.-backed monitor. Efforts to revive a short-lived ceasefire that broke down in March have made little visible progress , although one regional diplomat said talks were still going on in Doha and there remained a chance for a deal. The German comments are particularly striking given that Merz won elections in February promising to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on German soil in defiance of an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC). 'The massive military strikes by the Israelis in the Gaza Strip no longer reveal any logic to me – how they serve the goal of confronting terror,' Merz said in Turku, Finland. He did not reply to a question about German weapons exports to Israel. Wadephul said arms deliveries were a matter for a security council presided over by Merz, whose meetings are confidential. The foreign ministry did not immediately reply to a further request for comment on whether Germany's next step could include halting weapons shipments. only 36% of people in Germany view Israel positively The chancellor is due to speak to Netanyahu this week. In his office, Merz has a picture of Zikim beach, where Hamas fighters arrived on boats during their rampage in 2023 that killed around 1,200 people – a picture he had hanging for years previously in his parliamentary office. Israel's ambassador to Berlin, Ron Prosor, acknowledged German concerns on Tuesday but made no commitments. Only a quarter of Germans recognize a special responsibility towards the state of Israel 'When Friedrich Merz raises this criticism of Israel, we listen very carefully because he is a friend,' Prosor told the ZDF broadcaster. Merz's comments come on top of a groundswell of opposition to Israel's actions. A survey by Civey, published in the Tagesspiegel newspaper this week, showed 51% of Germans opposed weapons exports to Israel. More broadly, only 36% of people in Germany view Israel positively, a survey by the Bertelsmann Foundation found in May, down from 46% in the last survey in 2021. Only a quarter of Germans recognize a special responsibility towards the state of Israel, while 64% of Israelis believe Germany has a special obligation, the survey found. Reuters
Kuwait Times
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Kuwait Times
Germany shifts tone on Zionist entity over ‘massive military strikes' in Gaza
More than half of Germans oppose weapons exports TURKU: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivered his most severe rebuke of Zionist entity to date on Tuesday, criticizing massive air strikes on Gaza as no longer justified by the need to fight Hamas and 'no longer comprehensible'. The message, delivered from a press conference in Finland, reflects a broader shift in public opinion but also a greater willingness from top-ranking German politicians to criticize Zionist entity's conduct since the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas. There was similar criticism from Merz's foreign minister Johann Wadephul and calls among his junior coalition partner, the Social Democrats, to halt arms exports to Zionist entity or else risk German complicity in war crimes. While not a complete rupture, the shift in tone is significant in a country whose leadership follows a policy of special responsibility for Zionist entity, known as the Staatsraeson, due to the legacy of the Nazi Holocaust. Germany, along with the United States, has been one of Zionist entity's staunchest supporters, but Merz's words come as the European Union is reviewing its Zionist policy and Britain, France and Canada also threatened 'concrete actions' over Gaza. 'The massive military strikes by in the Gaza Strip no longer reveal any logic to me. How they serve the goal of confronting terror. ... In this respect, I view this very, very critically,' Merz said in Turku, Finland. 'I am also not among those who said it first ... But it seemed and seems to me that the time has come when I must say publicly, (that) what is currently happening is no longer comprehensible.' The comments are particularly striking given that Merz won elections in February promising to host Zionist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on German soil in defiance of an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Merz also has hanging in the chancellery a picture of Zikim beach, where Hamas fighters arrived on boats during their rampage in 2023 that killed around 1,200 people. The Chancellor plans to speak to Netanyahu this week, as attacks on Gaza killed dozens in recent days and its population of 2 million is at risk of famine. He did not reply to a question about German weapons exports to Zionist entity, and a government official told a briefing that this was a matter for a security council presided over by Merz. Zionist ambassador to Berlin, Ron Prosor, acknowledged German concerns on Tuesday but made no commitments. 'When Friedrich Merz raises this criticism of Zionist entity, we listen very carefully because he is a friend,' Prosor told the ZDF broadcaster. Pressure from below? Merz's comments come on top of a groundswell of opposition to Zionist actions. A survey by Civey, published in the Tagesspiegel newspaper this week, showed 51 percent of Germans opposed weapons exports to Zionist entity. More broadly, while 60 percent of Zionists have a positive or very positive opinion of Germany, only 36 percent of people in Germany view Zionist entity positively, and 38 percent view it negatively, a survey by the Bertelsmann Foundation found in May. This represents a notable change from the last survey in 2021, when 46 percent of Germans had a positive opinion of Zionist entity. Only a quarter of Germans recognize a special responsibility towards the Zionist state, while 64 percent of Zionists believe Germany has a special obligation. In another striking rebuke of Zionist entity, Germany's commissioner for anti-semitism Felix Klein this week called for a discussion about Berlin's stance on Zionist entity, saying German support after the Holocaust could not justify everything Zionist entity was doing. Historian Moshe Zimmermann said popular opinion in Germany towards Zionist entity has reacted the same way as in other countries. 'The difference is in the political elites - the political elite is still under the influence of the lessons of WWII in a very one-dimensional way: 'Jews were our victims during WWII, so we have to take sides with the Jews wherever they are and whatever they do,'' he said. 'You can feel it in the reaction of the new foreign minister, Wadephul, and indirectly the fact that Merz didn't repeat his promise to invite Netanyahu. This is an unprecedented situation where the pressure from below is forcing the political class to reconsider.' - Reuters
The Sun
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Germany shifts tone on Israel over ‘incomprehensible' Gaza carnage
TURKU: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivered his most severe rebuke of Israel to date on Tuesday, criticising massive air strikes on Gaza as no longer justified by the need to fight Hamas and 'no longer comprehensible'. The message, delivered from a press conference in Finland, reflects a broader shift in public opinion but also a greater willingness from top-ranking German politicians to criticise Israel's conduct since the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas. There was similar criticism from Merz's foreign minister Johann Wadephul and calls among his junior coalition partner, the Social Democrats, to halt arms exports to Israel or else risk German complicity in war crimes. While not a complete rupture, the shift in tone is significant in a country whose leadership follows a policy of special responsibility for Israel, known as the Staatsraeson, due to the legacy of the Nazi Holocaust. Germany, along with the United States, has been one of Israel's staunchest supporters, but Merz's words come as the European Union is reviewing its Israel policy and Britain, France and Canada also threatened 'concrete actions' over Gaza. 'The massive military strikes by the Israelis in the Gaza Strip no longer reveal any logic to me. How they serve the goal of confronting terror. ... In this respect, I view this very, very critically,' Merz said in Turku, Finland. 'I am also not among those who said it first ... But it seemed and seems to me that the time has come when I must say publicly, (that) what is currently happening is no longer comprehensible.' The comments are particularly striking given that Merz won elections in February promising to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on German soil in defiance of an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Merz also has hanging in the chancellery a picture of Zikim beach, where Hamas fighters arrived on boats during their rampage in 2023 that killed around 1,200 people. The Chancellor plans to speak to Netanyahu this week, as attacks on Gaza killed dozens in recent days and its population of 2 million is at risk of famine. He did not reply to a question about German weapons exports to Israel, and a government official told a briefing that this was a matter for a security council presided over by Merz. Israel's ambassador to Berlin, Ron Prosor, acknowledged German concerns on Tuesday but made no commitments. 'When Friedrich Merz raises this criticism of Israel, we listen very carefully because he is a friend,' Prosor told the ZDF broadcaster. PRESSURE FROM BELOW? Merz's comments come on top of a groundswell of opposition to Israel's actions. A survey by Civey, published in the Tagesspiegel newspaper this week, showed 51% of Germans opposed weapons exports to Israel. More broadly, while 60% of Israelis have a positive or very positive opinion of Germany, only 36% of people in Germany view Israel positively, and 38% view it negatively, a survey by the Bertelsmann Foundation found in May. This represents a notable change from the last survey in 2021, when 46% of Germans had a positive opinion of Israel. Only a quarter of Germans recognise a special responsibility towards the state of Israel, while 64% of Israelis believe Germany has a special obligation. In another striking rebuke of Israel, Germany's commissioner for antisemitism Felix Klein this week called for a discussion about Berlin's stance on Israel, saying German support after the Holocaust could not justify everything Israel was doing. Israeli historian Moshe Zimmermann said popular opinion in Germany towards Israel has reacted the same way as in other countries. 'The difference is in the political elites - the political elite is still under the influence of the lessons of WWII in a very one-dimensional way: 'Jews were our victims during WWII, so we have to take sides with the Jews wherever they are and whatever they do,'' he said. 'You can feel it in the reaction of the new foreign minister, Wadephul, and indirectly the fact that Merz didn't repeat his promise to invite Netanyahu. This is an unprecedented situation where the pressure from below is forcing the political class to reconsider.'
Daily Maverick
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Germany shifts tone on Israel over ‘incomprehensible' Gaza carnage
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivered his most severe rebuke of Israel to date on Tuesday, criticising massive air strikes on Gaza as no longer justified by the need to fight Hamas and "no longer comprehensible". The message, delivered from a press conference in Finland, reflects a broader shift in public opinion but also a greater willingness from top-ranking German politicians to criticise Israel's conduct since the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas. There was similar criticism from Merz's foreign minister Johann Wadephul and calls among his junior coalition partner, the Social Democrats, to halt arms exports to Israel or else risk German complicity in war crimes. While not a complete rupture, the shift in tone is significant in a country whose leadership follows a policy of special responsibility for Israel, known as the Staatsraeson, due to the legacy of the Nazi Holocaust. Germany, along with the United States, has been one of Israel's staunchest supporters, but Merz's words come as the European Union is reviewing its Israel policy and Britain, France and Canada also threatened 'concrete actions' over Gaza. 'The massive military strikes by the Israelis in the Gaza Strip no longer reveal any logic to me. How they serve the goal of confronting terror. … In this respect, I view this very, very critically,' Merz said in Turku, Finland. 'I am also not among those who said it first … But it seemed and seems to me that the time has come when I must say publicly, (that) what is currently happening is no longer comprehensible.' The comments are particularly striking given that Merz won elections in February promising to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on German soil in defiance of an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Merz also has hanging in the chancellery a picture of Zikim beach, where Hamas fighters arrived on boats during their rampage in 2023 that killed around 1,200 people. The Chancellor plans to speak to Netanyahu this week, as attacks on Gaza killed dozens in recent days and its population of 2 million is at risk of famine. He did not reply to a question about German weapons exports to Israel, and a government official told a briefing that this was a matter for a security council presided over by Merz. Israel's ambassador to Berlin, Ron Prosor, acknowledged German concerns on Tuesday but made no commitments. 'When Friedrich Merz raises this criticism of Israel, we listen very carefully because he is a friend,' Prosor told the ZDF broadcaster. PRESSURE FROM BELOW? Merz's comments come on top of a groundswell of opposition to Israel's actions. A survey by Civey, published in the Tagesspiegel newspaper this week, showed 51% of Germans opposed weapons exports to Israel. More broadly, while 60% of Israelis have a positive or very positive opinion of Germany, only 36% of people in Germany view Israel positively, and 38% view it negatively, a survey by the Bertelsmann Foundation found in May. This represents a notable change from the last survey in 2021, when 46% of Germans had a positive opinion of Israel. Only a quarter of Germans recognise a special responsibility towards the state of Israel, while 64% of Israelis believe Germany has a special obligation. In another striking rebuke of Israel, Germany's commissioner for antisemitism Felix Klein this week called for a discussion about Berlin's stance on Israel, saying German support after the Holocaust could not justify everything Israel was doing. Israeli historian Moshe Zimmermann said popular opinion in Germany towards Israel has reacted the same way as in other countries. 'The difference is in the political elites – the political elite is still under the influence of the lessons of WWII in a very one-dimensional way: 'Jews were our victims during WWII, so we have to take sides with the Jews wherever they are and whatever they do,'' he said. 'You can feel it in the reaction of the new foreign minister, Wadephul, and indirectly the fact that Merz didn't repeat his promise to invite Netanyahu. This is an unprecedented situation where the pressure from below is forcing the political class to reconsider.'
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Germany shifts tone on Israel over 'incomprehensible' Gaza carnage
By Sarah Marsh, Matthias Williams and Thomas Escritt TURKU, Finland/BERLIN (Reuters) -German Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivered his most severe rebuke of Israel to date on Tuesday, criticising massive air strikes on Gaza as no longer justified by the need to fight Hamas and "no longer comprehensible". The message, delivered from a press conference in Finland, reflects a broader shift in public opinion but also a greater willingness from top-ranking German politicians to criticise Israel's conduct since the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas. There was similar criticism from Merz's foreign minister Johann Wadephul and calls among his junior coalition partner, the Social Democrats, to halt arms exports to Israel or else risk German complicity in war crimes. While not a complete rupture, the shift in tone is significant in a country whose leadership follows a policy of special responsibility for Israel, known as the Staatsraeson, due to the legacy of the Nazi Holocaust. Germany, along with the United States, has been one of Israel's staunchest supporters, but Merz's words come as the European Union is reviewing its Israel policy and Britain, France and Canada also threatened "concrete actions" over Gaza. "The massive military strikes by the Israelis in the Gaza Strip no longer reveal any logic to me. How they serve the goal of confronting terror. ... In this respect, I view this very, very critically," Merz said in Turku, Finland. "I am also not among those who said it first ... But it seemed and seems to me that the time has come when I must say publicly, (that) what is currently happening is no longer comprehensible." The comments are particularly striking given that Merz won elections in February promising to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on German soil in defiance of an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Merz also has hanging in the chancellery a picture of Zikim beach, where Hamas fighters arrived on boats during their rampage in 2023 that killed around 1,200 people. The Chancellor plans to speak to Netanyahu this week, as attacks on Gaza killed dozens in recent days and its population of 2 million is at risk of famine. He did not reply to a question about German weapons exports to Israel, and a government official told a briefing that this was a matter for a security council presided over by Merz. Israel's ambassador to Berlin, Ron Prosor, acknowledged German concerns on Tuesday but made no commitments. "When Friedrich Merz raises this criticism of Israel, we listen very carefully because he is a friend,' Prosor told the ZDF broadcaster. PRESSURE FROM BELOW? Merz's comments come on top of a groundswell of opposition to Israel's actions. A survey by Civey, published in the Tagesspiegel newspaper this week, showed 51% of Germans opposed weapons exports to Israel. More broadly, while 60% of Israelis have a positive or very positive opinion of Germany, only 36% of people in Germany view Israel positively, and 38% view it negatively, a survey by the Bertelsmann Foundation found in May. This represents a notable change from the last survey in 2021, when 46% of Germans had a positive opinion of Israel. Only a quarter of Germans recognise a special responsibility towards the state of Israel, while 64% of Israelis believe Germany has a special obligation. In another striking rebuke of Israel, Germany's commissioner for antisemitism Felix Klein this week called for a discussion about Berlin's stance on Israel, saying German support after the Holocaust could not justify everything Israel was doing. Israeli historian Moshe Zimmermann said popular opinion in Germany towards Israel has reacted the same way as in other countries. "The difference is in the political elites - the political elite is still under the influence of the lessons of WWII in a very one-dimensional way: 'Jews were our victims during WWII, so we have to take sides with the Jews wherever they are and whatever they do,'" he said. "You can feel it in the reaction of the new foreign minister, Wadephul, and indirectly the fact that Merz didn't repeat his promise to invite Netanyahu. This is an unprecedented situation where the pressure from below is forcing the political class to reconsider."
