Status: 16.10.2023, 15:25 PM
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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) is to be the first head of government to travel to Israel. © Michael Kappeler/dpa
After the Russian attack on Ukraine, the Federal Chancellor waited almost four months before sending a signal of solidarity with a visit. This time, hesitation is out of the question for him.
Berlin - Ten days after the devastating terrorist attack by the Islamist Hamas, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) will be the first head of government to travel to Israel on Tuesday to send a signal of solidarity.
Then it's on to Egypt, Israel's only neighbor that also borders the Gaza Strip. Scholz is expected to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Hostage Rescue, Concrete Assistance, Risks of Escalation
Among other things, the talks will focus on how to free the approximately 200 Hamas hostages in the Gaza Strip - including several Germans. Scholz also wants to do his part to prevent a conflagration in the region. Concrete aid could also play a role: military aid to the Israeli armed forces; humanitarian aid for the people of the Gaza Strip, who have been urged by Israel to flee by the hundreds of thousands before a possible ground offensive.
The visit on Monday has not yet been officially confirmed - but it has not been denied either. After the "Bild-Zeitung" first reported on it, the German Press Agency also learned about the trip. For security reasons, visits by top politicians to war and crisis zones are usually not announced in advance.
Baerbock already travelled last week
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) had already travelled to Israel on Friday for a solidarity visit, US Secretaries Antony Blinken (Foreign Affairs) and Lloyd Austin (Defence) as well as EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had already been there - but not yet a head of state or government.
Scholz will now be the first. After the Russian attack on Ukraine, things were different. Despite all the criticism from within his own coalition, the chancellor took almost four months before he set off for Kiev on a special train together with French President Emmanuel Macron and then Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi. The reluctance to go to Kiev was accompanied by an initial reluctance to supply German weapons to Ukraine. It took a very long time for Germany to be recognized by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as Ukraine's second most important supporter after the United States.
Germany's special responsibility
Scholz does not want to be accused of hesitation again. This is also due to the special responsibility that Germany has because of the Nazi Holocaust, in which six million Jews were murdered throughout Europe. "At this moment, there is only one place for Germany: the place at Israel's side," Scholz said in the Bundestag last week. "That's what we mean when we say that Israel's security is Germany's raison d'être."
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Scholz added: "Our solidarity is not limited to words." He now wants to prove that with this trip. He has already promised Israel that he will provide all the help that is requested. So far, there have been requests for drones of the Israeli Heron TP type, which can also be armed, and ammunition for warships.
Above all, however, the Israeli government expects Germany to provide backing for its counterattacks against Hamas. A ground offensive is expected in the next few days, which is also likely to result in civilian casualties. This part of solidarity will be the most difficult for Scholz.
Scholz got involved in crisis diplomacy early on
The Federal Chancellor will first meet Jordan's King Abdullah II in Berlin on Tuesday morning and then leave for Israel. Scholz had already spoken twice on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in recent days. He also spoke with the heads of state of Qatar, Egypt and Turkey. It is already clear that he will continue to play a role in crisis management after this first solidarity visit. Further trips to the region are likely to follow. Dpa