Israel ignores German signals at its peril

Published: 3 May 2016

Last updated: 4 March 2024

If Merkel also criticises Israel, life is not a piece of cremeschnitte – Barak Ravid – Haaretz 01.05.16
The Israeli dismissal of Der Spiegel's report on the German chancellor's frustration with Netanyahu was ridiculous, even Orwellian. Most reports of this kind do not appear by happenstance. It can be assumed that most of the information and quotes came from Merkel’s office and the German Foreign Ministry. Merkel's stance is liable to influence other countries on the continent and in the world.
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Foreign policy shift: Skepticism of German-Israeli friendship growing in Berlin – Ralf Neukirch & Chistoph Schult – Der Spiegel 29.04.16
Top Berlin officials are becoming less inclined to unconditionally support Israel. With the two-state solution increasingly unlikely, there is concern that Israeli PM Netanyahu is "instrumentalising" Germany's friendship.

Germany denies reconsidering Israel support, says policy unchanged – The Times of Israel 01.05.16
[All Berlin official in fact said was: ‘The guidelines of German Middle East policy have not changed.’]

Netanyahu - Accept the French Peace initiative – Haaretz editorial 01.05.16
Even if it doesn’t resolve the fundamentals of the conflict, the French initiative will at least put it back on the global agenda. And it may generate some original ideas and steps toward a solution.