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Due to differences between the allies on key issues such as Iran’s nuclear program and the establishment of a Palestinian state, Germany’s outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel paid the last official visit to Israel.
Merkel said on Sunday that Germany remains committed to resuming the international nuclear agreement with Iran-a step that Israel strongly opposes.
She also said that Germany believes that a two-state solution is still the best way to end the decades-long conflict between Israel and Palestine.
“I think at this point, even if it seems almost hopeless at this stage, the idea of a two-state solution should not be cancelled and should not be buried… Palestinians should be able to live safely in A state,” Merkel said at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
She also stated that it is not helpful for Israel to build settlements in the occupied territories sought by the Palestinians.
Bennett, the former settler leader who opposed the establishment of a Palestinian state, quickly fought back.
“According to our experience, the meaning of a Palestinian state means that it is very possible to establish a terrorist state, about seven minutes away from my home, starting from almost anywhere in Israel,” he said.
He called himself a “pragmatic man,” but said he was prepared to take measures on the ground to improve the living conditions of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
‘Terrorism is occupation’
Hussein Sheikh, a senior Palestinian official in charge of overseeing relations with Israel, responded angrily. “The worst form of’terrorism’ is occupation, not the establishment of a Palestinian state,” he wrote on Twitter.
This was one of the few disagreements between Merkel’s close allies during her two-day visit, which ended a 16-year term marked by a near unwavering support for Israel.
Omar Shakir, director of Israel and Palestine at Human Rights Watch, criticized Merkel for viewing the 54-year Israeli occupation as “temporary.”
He said in a statement: “Maintaining this fiction allows the Merkel government to avoid dealing with the reality of apartheid and the persecution of millions of Palestinians.”
Under her leadership, Merkel has repeatedly expressed Germany’s commitment to Israel’s security and expressed her belief that Germany’s next government-which will be determined in the long coalition negotiations following the inconclusive elections last month-will adopt Similar position.
“I am optimistic that every German government, including those after me, will make a commitment to Israel’s security, and I think any successor to the German Chancellor will see it this way,” she said.
Merkel lit an eternal flame in the memorial hall of the Jewish Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem [AFP]Merkel supports nuclear agreement
Most of the agenda is expected to focus on Iran’s nuclear program. Although both leaders promised to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, they expressed different ways of doing this.
Germany is a major participant in the international nuclear agreement reached with Iran in 2015. The agreement broke down after then-President Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement in 2018 with the support of Israel. The Biden administration has been trying to restore the agreement- Known as JCPOA -Regardless of Israel’s opposition.
“I never thought JCPOA was ideal, but it’s better than no agreement,” Merkel said. She said that as Iran continues to enrich uranium, the situation is “very difficult.” “We are facing critical weeks surrounding this issue,” she said.
Israel considers Iran to be its greatest enemy, citing its military presence in neighboring Syria and its support for hostile fighting organizations throughout the region. It accuses Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons — Iran denies this accusation — and says that Iran, which possesses nuclear weapons, will pose an existential threat to Israel.
“Trying to appease the Iranians is meaningless. They interpret the reconciliation as a weakness,” Bennett said, and accused Iran of trying to delay in advancing its weapons efforts. “This is a critical point in time, and Germany’s position is particularly important.”
Merkel also stopped at Yad Vashem, Israel’s National Holocaust Memorial, where she laid a wreath to commemorate the 6 million European Jews killed by the Nazis during World War II.
“After the crimes against humanity of the Holocaust [Holocaust], It is possible to reset and rebuild the relationship,” Merkel said.
She added that it was “moving” that Israel began to trust post-war Germany, but this “trust always needs to prove itself”.
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