German Chancellor Merz visits Israel: Friendship remains?

(Deutsche Welle) Since taking office seven months ago, the unique relationship between Germany and Israel has been a persistent issue for German Chancellor Merz. Berlin and Jerusalem have clashed repeatedly over Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip (specifically, Israel's response to the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, 2023). Against this backdrop, Merz's trip to Jerusalem this weekend is fraught with challenges. In some respects, it signifies the continuation of the relationship; in others, it may foreshadow change.

This can be seen in the response of Ron Prosor, the Israeli ambassador to Germany, to the German Chancellor's remarks. Just two weeks after taking office, Merz expressed his dissatisfaction with Israel's actions in Gaza at the end of May , calling them a violation of international humanitarian law. At the time, Prosor seemed relatively unconcerned, telling German broadcaster ZDF, "We listen very carefully to Merz's criticisms of Israel because he is our friend."

In early August, citing the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip , Merz decided to suspend the delivery of certain weapons to Israel "until further notice." He stated that the German government could not provide weapons to a conflict that could result in "hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths." Prosser offered unusually sharp criticism: on German media outlet WELT TV, he stated that Merz's move neither led to the release of hostages nor a ceasefire, and that the focus of the discussion was "Israel's disarmament," which "is good for Hamas."

In mid-November, the German government lifted restrictions on arms exports , effective November 24. A German government spokesperson stated that this was based on the Gaza Strip ceasefire agreement that took effect on October 10. However, this ceasefire agreement is not stable, and clashes between Hamas militants and Israeli soldiers continue intermittently, with Israel also launching rocket attacks.

Mertz and Netanyahu frequently speak on the phone.

On Sunday (December 7), Mertz will meet with Netanyahu again. Compared to his predecessor, Mertz has mentioned his calls with the Israeli prime minister more frequently in recent statements—whether about the overall situation in the Middle East, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, or the twelve-day war between Israel and Iran in June 2025 .

In addition to holding political talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Herzog, German Chancellor Merz will also visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Israel. This memorial is far more than just a symbol; it commemorates the six million Jews who perished in the Nazi Holocaust.

Even in Israel, it was noted that in mid-September, Merz choked up and shed tears while speaking at the reopening ceremony of a synagogue in Munich that had been destroyed by the Nazis 87 years earlier. He also expressed "shame" at the resurgence of anti-Semitism in Germany.

Is "friendship" replacing "national rationality"?

Following the arms export dispute, Mertz stated that the "friendship" between Germany and Israel could withstand disagreements on specific issues: "In this respect, nothing has changed, and nothing will change." However, the Chancellor also admitted that he was confused by the concept of "national rationality" (Staatsräson).

The term was coined by former Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2008. At the time, she stated, "Every German government before me and every German Chancellor has been committed to fulfilling Germany's special historical responsibility for the security of Israel. This historical responsibility of Germany is part of our national rationality."

More content: Why does Berlin say that Israel's security is Germany's "national rationality"?

Merz also used the term "national rationality" in June of this year, but has hardly mentioned it since. Merz stated that Germany's special responsibility to Israel, including Israel's survival and security, is "an inviolable component of the normative basis of our constitution."

This weekend, more than seven months after being elected German Chancellor, Merz departed for Jerusalem. His two predecessors, Scholz and Merkel, both visited Israel within three months of taking office, flying directly to the country. Merz, however, chose a different path: he first flew to Jordan, met with the King of Jordan in Amman, and then proceeded to Israel.