Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar praised the new German leader as “the true friend of Israel” as his German counterpart, Johann Wadephul, visited Jerusalem.
Saar said on Sunday he is looking forward to working with the new government of Friedrich Merz, who took office this week, who will visit Berlin in June.
“Germany is a partner of Israel and our largest trading partner in Europe,” Saar said, as part of a celebration to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the bilateral relations.
“Israel and Germany have a special relationship,” he added. “This shows that through leadership and determination we can work for a better future – and don’t forget the horrors of the past.”
The meeting was due to Israel facing genocide charges in Gaza and starving Palestinians by blocking humanitarian supplies into surrounded areas.
Saar believes that the Palestinian militant group Hamas exploited the aid to “retain its strong position – at the expense of civilians”.
He said Israel supports a U.S. initiative to provide privately funded assistance to Gaza’s population.
Saar insisted that “only Hamas continues to be responsible for the war and the war,” he believed that the group “must be defeated.”
He also described Iran as “the most dangerous country in the world”, pointing out that it is necessary to “stop access to nuclear weapons.”
