"Merz, after stopping in Jordan for talks with King Abdullah II, is set to fly on to Israel in the evening before meeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Sunday. The German leader is also expected to visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial. Given the dark legacy of Nazi Germany's industrial-scale murder of Jews, German leaders have long seen unflinching support for Israel as a bedrock of the country's foreign policy."
"But Israeli-German ties were shaken during the Gaza war set off by the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, the deadliest in the country's history. Merz, who took power in May this year, has repeatedly criticised Israel's relentless military campaign, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians. In August, he also moved to restrict sales of weapons for use in Gaza. Since a fragile US-backed ceasefire and hostage deal ended full-scale fighting, Germany has lifted those export restrictions."
"The UN also warns that Israel is still not allowing enough aid into Gaza. Before leaving Berlin on Saturday morning, Merz spoke with Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmud Abbas. A spokesman said Merz underscored German support for a two-state solution but urged Abbas to push through "urgently necessary reforms" of the PA in order to play a "constructive role" in the postwar order."
Friedrich Merz travels to Israel after a stop in Jordan for talks with King Abdullah II and will meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem. The visit includes a planned stop at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial. German-Israeli ties were strained by the Gaza war triggered by the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack and by Merz's criticism of Israel's military campaign and temporary restrictions on weapons exports. Germany lifted those export restrictions after a US-backed ceasefire and hostage deal. Merz spoke with Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas, reiterated support for a two-state solution, and urged urgent PA reforms.
Read at www.thelocal.de
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]