Earlier this week, in response to an Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering displaced Palestinian civilians, .
“It’s a human tragedy and political catastrophe,” he said in a publicly aired interview at the European Forum, organized by the German public broadcaster WDR. “Frankly speaking, I no longer understand what the goal of the Israeli army in Gaza Strip is,” he added, referring to Israel’s expanded operations in the enclave and the that has emerged from an Israeli blockade.
Merz also stressed he was well aware of Germany’s history, and wanted to exercise caution when expressing criticism. “But when lines are crossed, when international humanitarian law is truly being violated, the German chancellor must say something about it,” he stressed.
Until now, no leading German politician has been so clear in criticizing . The Israeli ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, was quick to respond. “When Fredrich Merz raises this criticism of Israel, we listen very carefully, because he is a friend,” he told the German public broadcaster ZDF on Tuesday morning.
Prosor went on to claim Israel was trying save those kidnapped on October 7, 2023, provide aid for Gaza’s remaining civilians and prevent a “terrorist regime” in Gaza.
In response to the Hamas-led attacks in Israel in 2023, which saw 251 people kidnapped into Gaza and about 1,200 killed, Israel has been conducting a massive military campaign in the small coastal territory. So far, Israeli operations have killed at least 53,000 Palestinians, many of them women and children, and repeatedly displaced nearly the entire population of Gaza. An ongoing Israeli blockade has put Palestinians in Gaza at critical risk of famine, with an estimated 71,000 children currently facing starvation.
The International Court of Justice last year issued a ruling that indicated concerns of Israel committing a genocide in Gaza were “plausible.”
Israel has repeatedly bombed schools, mosques and hospitals in Gaza, claiming Hamas had repurposed them as commando centers and weapons depots, without providing any concrete evidence. As a result, all public hospitals in north Gaza are now out of service. Germany, Israel, the US and other states deem a terrorist organization.
Merz’s words ‘stung the political elite’
Simon Wolfgang Fuchs, an associate professor of Islamic studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said it was remarkable that Israeli media had reported on Merz’s comments, but barely any formal comments or government response had been issued on the matter.
“That could in part be due to the fact that, despite his criticism, Friedrich Merz stayed quite vague in terms of possible consequences,” he said.
While other European nations had voiced bolder criticism of Israel’s conduct in Gaza, “Chancellor Merz has so far been very restrained,” he added. “It would appear that the ongoing silence is an indicator that his remarks stung the political elite, and that Jerusalem takes what he said very seriously.”
Israel willing to listen only to ‘conservative, right-wing allies’
In response to Merz’s remarks, the liberal Israeli daily Haaretz published a rare opinion piece. “While [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu can always accuse left-leaning leaders who criticize Israel’s war in Gaza […] of succumbing to domestic forces, he has had little to nothing to say publicly about pro-Israel allies like German Chancellor Friedrich Merz,” David Issacharoff wrote on Tuesday.
From this, he concluded, “it seems that only right-wing leaders have any sway over the […] prime minister as he wages a politically motivated war of destruction on Gaza that kills dozens of Palestinians every day, according to Gaza’s health officials.”
This strategy appears to have found its continuation in Ambassador Prosor’s cautious response. As Issacharoff wrote: “Prosor usually bashes any criticism of [Israel] as Jew-hatred. His restraint revealed a stark truth: Israel is willing to listen only to its conservative, right-wing allies.”
‘New shift in tone’ leaves a lasting impression in Israel
Peter Lintl, an expert on Israel at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, believes the Israeli government heard Merz’s remarks loud and clear. In this context, he also pointed to , which EU member states have put up for review. The trade agreement is meant to deepen economic ties between partners, and requires both partners to uphold .
The fact that the EU’s trade ties with Israel are now in question has left a lasting impression in Israel, the expert said. The same goes for the growing pressure from the US government and several US senators that are usually quite pro-Israel, he added.
“It seems to me that this wider context is decisive,” said Lintl. “But in this context, Germany’s new shift in tone will certainly be heard.”
Fuchs also believes Merz’s comment bear more weight because many Israelis are currently concerned over their country’s growing isolation. “I’m under the impression that many Israelis fear their country is currently losing so much standing, that it can no longer be considered part of the western community of values,” he said. “Most Israelis feel they clearly belong to the West. They want to be a part of it and stay a part of it.”
Is Netanyahu feeling pressure?
Lintl does not believe Merz’s criticism will be able to stop Israel’s war in Gaza. But, he said, the main question was how much pressure Prime Minister Netanyahu is feeling from his own coalition.
“Some Cabinet members are pushing to reoccupy Gaza. And Netanyahu depends on them politically. The question is whether the current course can be corrected,” he said.
In this regard, the Haaretz article noted that German leaders needed to stop declaring their responsibility for Israel’s right to exist.
“Their obligation, rather, is to question the way it exists, especially with [German] support,” wrote Issacharoff. “A friend of Israel, Merz must choose between only going viral on Instagram, or doing all he can to prevent the horrific killing of Palestinian children in Gaza, which Netanyahu has shown no intention of stopping anytime soon.”
This article was originally written in German.
The post How has Israel reacted to criticism from Chancellor Merz? appeared first on Deutsche Welle.
