Merz Meets Netanyahu: Two Opposing Visions of Peace

A “lasting peace is possible” in Gaza, Friedrich Merz said yesterday during his first visit to Israel since becoming Germany’s chancellor in May. “I have to say, Friedrich, I think we’re at the cusp of a new age, because I think that we will achieve the expansion of peace,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a joint press conference. These almost euphoric sentiments are overshadowed by the two leaders’ drastically different views on how to achieve peace.

Merz said at the press conference:

Our conviction is that the prospective establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel presumably offers the best prospect for this future.

Netanyahu said at the same press conference:

On the question of two states, now we have a different point of view, obviously, because the purpose of a Palestinian state is to destroy the one and only Jewish state. They already had a state in Gaza, a defective state, and it was used to try to destroy the one and only Jewish state. We believe there’s a path to advance a broader peace with the Arab states and a path also to establish a workable peace with our Palestinian neighbors. But we’re not going to create a state that will be committed to our destruction at our doorstep.

Merz confirmed that Germany would not recognize a Palestinian state at this time, as some other European governments have, and he promised that the arms embargo Germany placed on Israel earlier this year would be a one-time occurrence. Before visiting Israel, he visited Jordan rather than meeting with leaders of the Palestinian Authority.

The meeting in Aqaba, Jordan, focused on strengthening economic and defense ties and improving regional stability, Jordanian news agency Petra reported.

In the meantime, Netanyahu announced that the U.S.-led peace initiative between Israel and Hamas will soon move into its second phase, which obligates Hamas to disarm.

Netanyahu knows that a two-state solution would lead to Israel’s destruction. However, Psalm 83 prophesies Germany will ally with various Arab countries to achieve this exact goal.