German Chancellor Friedrich Merz flew into Israel on Saturday for his first visit since taking office, and reaffirmed Berlin’s support after traditionally solid ties between the countries were shaken by the Gaza war.
“I consider it a great honor and a truly great distinction to be here and to reaffirm that standing by this country is and will remain the unchanging core principle of the Federal Republic of Germany’s policy,” said Merz.
Merz, who took power in May, has repeatedly criticized Israel’s relentless military campaign, which has killed more than 69,000 Palestinians. In August, he also moved to restrict sales of weapons for use in Gaza.
Since a fragile US-backed ceasefire and hostage deal ended full-scale fighting, Germany has lifted those export restrictions.
“The actions of the Israeli army in Gaza have posed some dilemmas for us (and) we have responded to them,” Merz said. But, he added, “Israel has the right to defend itself.” (AFP)
