Friedrich Merz
Following a meeting with Netanyahu in Jerusalem, the European leader said his country “will stand by your side in friendship.”
The two leaders will then hold a joint press conference.
Four European public broadcasters have already announced they will withdraw from the singing contest if Israeli artists take part.
Berlin had “turned a blind eye” to the fact that many refugees who arrived in Germany “were socialized in countries of origin where hatred of Israel is taught even to children,” said the German chancellor.
Friedrich Merz’s party defended his remarks against critics on the left.
Standing at the German capital’s Holocaust memorial, Gideon Sa’ar blasted European antisemitism and defended Israel’s right to self-defense.
Friedrich Merz’s comments are the harshest by a German top official since the outbreak of war on Oct. 7, 2023.
Friedrich Merz reiterated Berlin’s commitment to Israel’s security, condemning the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks.
The new sheriff in Washington, Hamas’s on-camera cruelty, and the Ukraine drama go a long way to explaining the change.
Gideon Sa’ar was provided with a rare opportunity to meet directly with counterparts from foreign ministries across 27 countries.
“I think it is a completely absurd idea that an Israeli prime minister cannot visit the Federal Republic of Germany,” said Friedrich Merz, who is poised to become Germany’s next prime minister.
Although the far-right AfD won 152 seats and would give CDU leader Friedrich Merz a comfortable 360-seat majority, he has already declared he won’t form a coalition with the party.
