After the alleged attack on Iran, CDU leader Friedrich Merz supports Israel's self-defense in the Middle East. The Chancellor warns of an escalation.
Berlin - Israel's alleged attack on the large city of Isfahan in the heart of Iran is worrying the international community and fueling concerns about an escalating conflict in the Middle East. The response from top international diplomats and politicians came quickly and clearly: All parties in the Middle East are called on to exercise prudence and de-escalation. Chancellor Olaf Scholz struck the same tone on Friday afternoon (April 19). Opposition leader and CDU boss Friedrich Merz is positioning himself a little more clearly - and the stock market is also reacting.
Israel's alleged attack on Iran: Friedrich Merz insists on the right to self-defense
“Israel’s right to self-defense does not end at its national borders. If the threat comes from outside, Israel has the right to defend itself against this threat,” said CDU chairman Friedrich Merz in an interview with the German Press Agency
.
Nobody has an interest in the conflict in the Middle East escalating.
I assume that the Israeli government will behave wisely and very carefully in the coming days and weeks.
CDU chairman Friedrich Merz on the tense situation in the Middle East
However, the CDU leader sees the ultimate responsibility for the course of the conflict as lying with the Iranian regime in Tehran: “Iran has sole and exclusive control over whether this conflict expands or not,” emphasized Merz. Israel has a right to self-defense, and the state will have to use this right in the future to protect itself. “The right to exist of the State of Israel is the basic prerequisite for peace to emerge in the Middle East. Escalation dominance lies solely with the mullahs’ regime in Iran.”
Conflict in the Middle East: Chancellor Scholz warns of “further escalation of the war”
Meanwhile, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) did not announce such clear divisions of roles. “Everyone must ensure now and in the near future that there is no further escalation of the war,” he said on Friday at an SPD conference on the North Sea island of Norderney. Germany represents this position together with its allies. Scholz did not comment further on the reports of the alleged attack. He simply said that there had been “military activity again” on Friday night.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is also joining in the international rhetoric of prudence and calling on Iran, Israel and their allies not to escalate the situation further. “It is absolutely necessary that the region remains stable and that all sides refrain from further actions,” emphasized von der Leyen
at a press conference in Finland on Friday morning, according to
Sky News .
Foreign Minister Baerbock at the G7 meeting in Capri: “Full solidarity and support” for Israel
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) is currently at the meeting of the G7 foreign ministers in Capri, Italy. The conclusion of the three-day meeting was actually supposed to focus on relations with China and the topics of cybersecurity and energy supply. However, as the German Press Agency reports, the agenda has been adapted to the new developments. Both US Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Green Party politician Baerbock are expected to comment on the Middle East situation at their final press conferences.
Baerbock will probably stick to the state statement drawn up by the countries at the G7 meeting, which was also published on Friday afternoon. It underlines that Israel and its people have “the full solidarity and support” of the nations. Regarding Israel's alleged attack on Isfahan, the G7 nations urged all parties involved to work to prevent escalation, according to the statement. The extent to which Germany can exert diplomatic influence on Israel is currently unclear: a few days ago there was said to be a dispute between Foreign Minister Baerbock and Prime Minister Netanyahu.
“Moderate reaction with strong warning”: German-Israeli Society sees signal
The growing tensions in the Middle East are also causing discussions outside of the political elite. The President of the German-Israeli Society, Volker Beck, spoke of a “measured reaction with a strong warning” after Israel’s alleged attack. He sees the strike in central Iran as an Israeli signal to the mullahs' regime: “We can hit you, we can hit you hard, and we can hit you anywhere. Don’t test us again.”
Israel's alleged attack on Iran also had a noticeable impact on the German stock market on Friday. The leading index Dax fell by 0.94 percent to 17,670.34 points, heading for its third weekly loss in a row. The MDax of medium-sized stocks lost one percent to 25,927.67 points on Friday. The EuroStoxx 50, the leading index for the Euro region, lost 0.7 percent.
“Investors are currently showing some nervousness in view of the situation in the Middle East and its impact on the energy markets,” said financial market expert Andreas Lipkow to the dpa. The airline Lufthansa was also nervous: it and its subsidiaries Swiss and AUA canceled all flights to Israel on Friday due to the current situation. (stma/dpa)