German FM visits Israel, doubts military solution for Gaza

Germany's newly-appointed foreign minister Johann Wadephul said on a visit to Israel that the conflict in Gaza cannot be solved through military actions, stressing he supports a political solution.Wadephul said that Gaza is part of the Palestinian territory. He expressed doubts over Israel's conduct in the Gaza war and whether it serves Israel's security.Earlier this week, Israel's far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich had said that he expected that Gaza's population would be confined to just a narrow swath of land within the next six months, with the remainder of the enclave "totally destroyed."

What did Wadephul say?

Wadephul said Berlin would hold its commitment to guarantee Israel's security, reminding that it was Germany's "reason of state."He nevertheless noted that there is still room for criticism among friends, adding that this "must not lead to antisemitism.""I am not sure whether all of Israel's strategic goals can be achieved in this way [through a military campaign] and whether this will serve Israel's security in the long term," Wadephul said."That is why we are appealing for a return to serious negotiations on a ceasefire."The German government's priority is returning the hostages home, Wadephul said.

"We need a political solution for the reconstruction of Gaza without Hamas," he added.

What did Wadephul discuss with Israeli counterpart Saar?

Foreign minister Johann Wadephul met Israel's foreign minister Gidon Saar.Saar praised Germany's new government as "true friends of Israel," pointing out that "Germany is Israel's partner and our biggest trade partner in Europe."The pair discussed the plan to deliver aid to the population of Gaza, in line with a US proposal put forward by US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.Israel imposed a total blockade on Gaza in March, saying it aimed to pressure the militant group Hamas to release the remaining Israeli hostages. United Nations bodies operating in Gaza and other humanitarian groups have warned that the move led to severe shortages, amid fears of looming famine.Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist group in several countries, took some 250 hostages when it carried out the October 7, 2023, attacks on southern Israel, which killed 1,200 people.Israel's consequent response in Gaza has killed more than 52,800 Palestinians, according to figures from the health authorities in the Hamas-run enclave, regarded as reliable by international organizations. Saar said that Israel fully endorses the US aid delivery plan.Announced on Friday, the plan involves a new foundation that would lead the aid distribution in the besieged strip. Critics are concerned the plan would sideline the UN and other aid groups.

Saar threatens 'unilateral actions' if Palestinian statehood is recognized

Saar also said that any unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, a move which the French government said it was planning for, would lead to "unilateral actions in response."Wadephul meanwhile said that a two-state solution was "the best chance for Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace, security, and dignity."He nonetheless added that it "must not be hindered either by the advancement of illegal settlement construction [by Israel] or by the premature recognition of a Palestinian state".Wadephul later held a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu called the relations between Israel and Germany "excellent," and expressed hope that the two countries continue on the same path."We have many common interests, many common values and many common challenges," Netanyahu said.The German foreign minister thanked Netanyahu for the warm welcome and the two shook hands.

Wadephul expresses 'shame' over Holocaust

At the beginning of his visit to Israel, Wadephul visited the Yad Vashem memorial in Jerusalem, one of the world's most famous Holocaust museums.After his visit, Germany's foreign minister expressed his feelings of "horror and shame" for the country's responsibility for the Holocaust.Germany must learn the lessons from the Holocaust, as well as remembering its victims and honoring its survivors, Wadephul said."This place reminds us Germans again and again that the monstrosity of the Shoah was ordered in German, planned by Germans and carried out by Germans."

Wadephul tried to strike balance between commitment to Israel and international humanitarian law, DW editor says

Richard Walker, DW's chief international editor, covered Wadephul's visit from Jerusalem. Here's what he had to say:"Johann Wadephul’s first visit to Israel and the Palestinian Territories comes at a time of deep pessimism in German diplomatic circles about the trajectory of the war in Gaza. The humanitarian crisis there is increasingly dire, Hamas is still holding many hostages including some German citizens, and Israel is ramping up military operations rather than heeding Berlin’s calls to seek a ceasefire. "In a press conference with his Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar, Johann Wadephul was both supportive of Israel’s right to self-defence and openly critical of its methods, saying he doubted that Israel could achieve its strategic goals militarily — that more fighting would not deliver more security. "The two ministers did make news by both supporting US plans to get aid flowing into Gaza again, but these plans are controversial over their reliance on Israeli forces and independent contractors. "For Wadephul, it was a first taste in government of navigating Berlin’s diplomatic challenge as the war grinds on: honoring its profound commitment to Israel’s security emanating from Germany’s responsibility for the Holocaust, at the same time as making good on its commitment to international humanitarian law."