Seven months after taking office as Chancellor, Friedrich Merz paid his first official visit to Israel; the trip lasted less than 24 hours. The visit sparked a heated debate, particularly in Germany, about whether the wrong signal was sent given the conflict in Gaza and escalating violence in the West Bank.
According to historian Moshe Zimmermann, Merz remains relatively unknown to Israelis. “If you were to ask in a survey about Germany’s current chancellor, only 10 percent of Israelis would know that his name is Friedrich Merz,” Zimmermann told DW. “For the vast majority, Angela Merkel is still the chancellor. She was very popular here,” he adds.
Recently there has been an increasing number of critical voices from Germany about the Israeli military operation in Gaza, which is rather unusual for Israelis.
Differences on the “Palestinian question”
The focus of the trip was the joint statement and press conference by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Friedrich Merz to examine whether bilateral relations were affected. Although they acknowledged differences on some issues, both leaders reaffirmed the strength of the bond between their respective countries.
“The visit reaffirms the strength of bilateral relations, Germany’s commitment to Israel and Israel’s commitment to Germany, an alliance that has been increasingly strengthened in recent years,” Jeremy Issacharoff, former Israeli ambassador to Germany between 2017 and 2022, told DW.
“The press conference showed that relations are solid, but there are differences, especially on how to proceed on the Palestinian issue. I think both countries are aware of this,” Issacharoff added.
During his meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog the evening before, Merz admitted that the timing of his visit was “complicated.” The ceasefire process in Gaza has not yet advanced to the second phase, daily airstrikes continue to claim casualties in the devastated area and Israel is still waiting for the remains of its last Gaza hostage to be returned.
Meanwhile, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the sharp increase in violent settler attacks on Palestinians coupled with Israel’s annexation policy has alarmed European nations.
“It is a symbolic visit, but also important,” says Shimon Stein, who was Israel’s ambassador to Berlin from 2001 to 2007. “Merz has expressed his solidarity and friendship with Israel from the beginning. However, he comes at a time when there are many open conflicts, both nationally and regionally,” he remembers.
Differences from the two-state solution
Like many Western leaders, the German chancellor reiterated his support for the two-state solution, even though current conditions appear further than ever from the creation of a Palestinian state.
“We are convinced that the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state alongside Israel offers the best prospects for the future,” Merz said, adding that a two-state solution could only emerge at the end of negotiations and not at the beginning, and reiterated Germany’s refusal to recognize the Palestinian state for now.
Historian Zimmermann sees nothing new in the Chancellor’s actions. “Merz, of course, mentioned that Germany is against the annexation of the West Bank. That is mandatory. But he said nothing about what is actually happening there today,” Zimmermann told DW. “As German Chancellor, he confirmed the old policy: the non-recognition of the Palestinian state in contrast to other European countries,” he says.
The German Chancellor did not travel to the occupied West Bank to meet with Palestinian leaders or civil society representatives. His office only recorded a phone call with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas before the regional trip.
Netanyahu, for his part, quickly rejected any idea of a Palestinian state. His far-right government has repeatedly rejected the possibility of an independent Palestinian state, instead pushing for broader peace in the region.
“We believe there is a path forward to a more comprehensive peace with Arab states and a viable peace with our Palestinian neighbors,” Netanyahu said. “But we will not create a state that is committed to destroying us on our own doorstep,” he affirmed.
The arms embargo, a concrete measure
Another point of contention appears to have been resolved. While Merz acknowledged that certain Israeli military actions in Gaza put Germany in a “dilemma” and called on Israel to respect international law, he stressed that the decision to stop arms supplies was a one-time measure.
Germany stopped supplying some weapons to Israel in August as concerns grew about civilian casualties in Gaza. The suspension was lifted in November following the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
Despite the Gaza War being described as genocide by a UN committee and rejected by Israel, defense cooperation remains a cornerstone of German-Israeli relations.
Netanyahu stressed that 80 years after the Holocaust, it is Israel that ensures the security of Germany and Europe, citing Berlin’s recent acquisition of Israel’s Arrow Defense 3 system as evidence.
Limited German influence
The Israeli prime minister also made it clear that all political developments in Gaza will be discussed in Washington later this month when he is scheduled to visit the White House. Many observers agree that Germany’s direct political role in the region is limited: neither Germany nor the European Union currently has the final say; According to former ambassador Shimon Stein, decisions are made in Washington.
“As Trump pushes forward with plans like his, Israel has become completely dependent on the United States after October 7,” Stein says. “So much so that I don’t see that Netanyahu has much leeway to act independently,” he adds, noting that this is quite worrying “as an Israeli.”
The historian Zimmermann agrees with this opinion. “Germany cannot take any initiative here, except perhaps financial support for the Palestinians,” he explains. “That means that when it comes to deciding who will finance Trump’s plans, the answer is, among others, Germany,” he emphasizes.
So far, “this chancellor has not yet made a name for himself among Israelis and Israeli expatriates, which is not surprising,” adds Zimmermann. “The Israelis are focused on what is happening in the United States, and Netanyahu has said it clearly. This is our way of saying that you Europeans are irrelevant,” he concludes.
(ct/ms)
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