Germany Experiences Increasing Pressure to Stop Supporting Israel over Gaza War
Germany is witnessing increasing pressure to join international steps to sanction Israel over its war on Gaza after the government did not recognize the Palestinian State at the UN General Assembly, according to Arab News.
After Canada, France and Britain officially recognized Palestine as a state, Berlin has grown increasingly isolated.
Germany will again be at the center of attention in Europe this week, amid uncertainty over its stance on EU move to impose sanctions on Israel for its military campaign in the Palestinian enclave.
“Germany is under increasing pressure from several directions,” said Mariam Salehi, a researcher in international politics at Berlin’s Free University.
Israel & Germany Relations
Germany’s position on Israel in the context of the Gaza war is deeply shaped by its sense of special responsibility to atone for the Holocaust, during which six million European Jews were killed under Hitler’s regime between 1933 and 1945.
Criticizing support for Israel has long been a huge a huge taboo in Germany due to the Nazis’ murder of six million Jews during the Holocaust.
Former Chancellor Angela Merkel described Israel’s security as part of Germany’s ‘Staatsräson’ — a key state principle regarded as overriding all other political considerations.
No Recognition of Palestinian State
In August, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that his country would not recognize the Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly.
A German government spokesperson revealed that his country’s top priority now is to make “long-overdue progress” towards a two-state solution.
“Israel’s security is of paramount importance to the German government,” said the spokesperson. “The German government therefore has no plans to recognize a Palestinian state in the short term.”
Moreover, a German government spokesman noted that such a move would further hinder the possibility of reaching a negotiated two-state solution with Israel.
“A negotiated two-state solution remains our goal, even if it seems a long way off today,” spokesman said.
He also described the decision to recognize the Palestinian state as “counterproductive”.
The recognition of Palestine is more likely to come at the end of such a process, and such decisions would now be rather counterproductive,” the spokesperson added.
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