"Seven months into his chancellorship, Friedrich Merz travelled for his first official visit to Israel, a trip that lasted less than 24 hours. The visit drew intense scrutiny particularly in Germany over whether it would send the wrong signal amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza and escalating violence in the West Bank. Among the Israeli public, Merz remains relatively unknown, historian Moshe Zimmerman told DW."
""If you asked people in a survey, 'Who is the current Chancellor of Germany?', no more than 10% of Israelis would know that his name is Friedrich Merz," Zimmerman said. "For the vast majority, Angela Merkel is still the Chancellor and she was very popular here." Lately, however, there have been increasingly critical voices coming from Germany regarding Israel's military conduct in Gaza, and that was somewhat unusual for Israelis."
Seven months into his chancellorship Merz traveled to Israel for his first official visit, which lasted under 24 hours. The visit prompted intense scrutiny in Germany over whether the timing would send the wrong signal amid the Gaza conflict and rising West Bank violence. Many Israelis remain unfamiliar with Merz, with Angela Merkel still widely perceived as the chancellor. German public criticism of Israel's military conduct in Gaza has increased, a development that surprised some Israelis. Netanyahu and Merz acknowledged differences but emphasized the long-standing, growing bilateral partnership, while differences remain chiefly over how to move forward on the Palestinian issue. Merz conceded the timing was complicated during a meeting with President Herzog.
Read at www.dw.com
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