German Chancellor Olaf Scholz delivered a general policy statement to Parliament on Thursday to discuss the situation in Israel. A choice illustrating the importance of events on site in a country historically marked by close solidarity with the Hebrew State. It is particularly committed to the delivery of combat drones.
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After a minute of silence on Wednesday in memory of the Hamas victims and a debate, it was Olaf Scholz’s turn to speak in front of Parliament this Thursday, October 12. Before the speech, the deputies of the Bundestag stood up to applaud the Israeli ambassador present, reports our correspondent in Berlin, Pascal Thibaut. The chancellor reiterated Berlin’s unwavering support for the Jewish state. A motion must be voted on by five of the seven parties represented in the German Parliament to illustrate Berlin’s solidarity with the Jewish state.
“ Germany’s only place is with Israel “, declared the German leader in front of the deputies of the Bundestag, the lower house of Parliament. “ Our own history, our responsibility resulting from the Holocaust imposes on us the permanent duty to defend the existence and security of Israel “, he added.
Scholz points the finger at Iran
The chancellor has denounced Iran’s responsibility for Hamas in recent years. “ We have so far no hard evidence that Iran actually supported this cowardly Hamas attack. “, declared the German leader. “ But it is clear to us that without Iranian support in recent years, Hamas would not have been able to launch unprecedented attacks on Israeli territory. “, he added.
Olaf Scholz also criticized the silence of the Palestinian authority. “ I wonder where is the clear condemnation of terrorist violence by the Palestinian Authority and its President Mahmoud Abbas? Their silence is shameful! “, he said during a statement to German deputies in the Bundestag.
Berlin wants to use all available contacts to achieve the release of the hostages in the short term. The Emir of Qatar, whose country supports Hamas, is in Berlin today. Olaf Scholz is in contact with Egypt and is also due to speak to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan this Thursday.
More broadly, Germany is worried about an escalation in the region. “ Our message is clear: it would be an unforgivable mistake to attack Israel. »
The chancellor also announced a ban on activities deemed linked to Hamas on German soil after various solidarity demonstrations. “ An association like Samidoun, whose members celebrate the most brutal terrorist acts in the streets, will be banned in Germany “, he added.
Combat drones and munitions
“ This solidarity is not limited to words », Underlined the Chancellor. Germany has given Israel the green light to use two Heron TP combat drones and received requests from the Jewish state for naval artillery ammunition, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Thursday. “ We will discuss this subject with the Israelis “, he clarified, adding that Germany would also “ quickly » lend a helping hand in the health field.
“ I have asked Prime Minister Netanyahu to stay in close contact and inform us of any support needs. This applies, for example, to care for the injured. But we will also immediately consider other requests for assistance from Israel “, he said.
According to the magazine Spiegel, the Israeli Air Force had asked this weekend if Germany could make two Israeli-made combat drones available to it for its military response against Hamas, which launched an unprecedented offensive against Israel on Saturday . “ The Bundeswehr currently rents five drones of this type which are used in particular for training German soldiers “, on site in Israel, specified the ministry.
(And with AFP)