Berlin has always acknowledged its responsibility for Israel. This does not have to mean military aid, there are many other means to support the country in the Middle East.
In view of the barbaric terrorist attack by Hamas, Chancellor Olaf Scholz reiterated: “Israel’s security is German reasons of state.” “We will act accordingly”. But Scholz didn’t spell out exactly what that meant, nor did any of the many politicians who repeat his sentence. Until now, the statement has never been accompanied by a conclusive list of what it contains – probably deliberately. It was meant more as a confession, as Angela Merkel put it in the Knesset on March 18, 2008. “Germany’s historical responsibility is part of my country’s raison d’état,” she said, adding that Israel’s security is “never negotiable.”