It was seen that “America is no longer unconditionally ready to take on a leadership role anywhere in the world,” said Merkel on Monday during a discussion with representatives of the Israeli Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in Jerusalem.
Merkel arrived in Israel on a farewell visit on Saturday evening. On Sunday she met Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in Jerusalem, among others. Merkel emphasized the responsibility of future German governments for Israel’s security and a determined fight against anti-Semitism.
In a conversation with security experts before her departure on Monday, Merkel said: “Israel is close to Europe’s external borders, so we also have common security interests.”
Regarding the efforts to contain the Iranian nuclear program, Merkel said that they are currently “in a critical process”. Germany and Israel have a common stance, namely that Tehran’s nuclear armament must absolutely be prevented. There are only differences of opinion about the right way. You have always considered the international nuclear agreement of 2015 with Iran “an agreement that is anything but perfect, but forms a framework for action,” said the Chancellor.
With regard to the Middle East conflict, Merkel said that the question of the Palestinians had recently increasingly “disappeared from the current agenda.” This is not a good thing. Just as Israel has a right to a state, “the right of the Palestinians must not be lost sight of”. The issue will not go away in the long term, even if Israel builds better relations with Arab countries. Nevertheless, she welcomed “pragmatic steps by the (Israeli) government to improve the living conditions of the Palestinians”.