Germany is among Israel’s staunchest Western allies that have, despite wide criticism, championed Israel’s bombardment of Gaza as part of its “right to defend itself”.
Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has concluded his two-stop Europe tour after holding talks on bilateral relations and regional developments with leaders and officials in Italy and Germany.
The tour began in Rome on Sunday and ended in Berlin on Tuesday. Sheikh Tamim was accompanied by Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, along with an official delegation.
In Germany, Sheikh Tamim met with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the Bellevue Presidential Palace in Berlin, Qatar’s state news agency (QNA) reported. The discussions centred on the enhancement of bilateral relations and addressing regional and international developments.
The Amir also held discussions with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the Meseberg Castle in Brandenburg over the same matters while tapping into mutual investment opportunities.
“In Berlin today, I discussed with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Olaf Scholz our shared aspirations to consolidate and expand our bilateral cooperation in the political, economic and trade fields, which we are keen to continuously develop together through our joint efforts,” Sheikh Tamim said on X.
Both sides have also called for the need to “intensify efforts to reduce escalation in the Middle East and reach a ceasefire” as Israel simultaneously bombards the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.
Qatar has been playing a central mediation role alongside Egypt to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and a deal that would release the Israeli captives.
Last November, these efforts successfully led to a week-long truce, resulting in the release of 109 captives held by Hamas in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners, predominantly women and children.
Negotiations have stalled since the expiration of the truce deal last December.
Earlier this month, Qatar’s prime minister revealed that there have been no discussions in the past “three to four weeks” regarding a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and a captives release deal, pointing out Israel’s unwillingness to engage in such talks.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has killed at least 42,718 people in the Gaza Strip, mainly women and children. The actual death toll is believed to be an undercount of the actual figure with thousands missing and buried under the rubble.
In Lebanon, Israel has killed at least 2,530 people since October 8, 2023, according to the latest government figures.
Germany’s support for Israel
Germany is among Israel’s staunchest Western allies that have, despite wide criticisms, championed Israel’s bombardment of Gaza as part of its “right to defend itself”.
On October 8, the German Chancellor stressed that Israel’s security “is Germany’s reason for state”. Scholz was also the first Western official to visit Israel after the Hamas operation on October 17 in solidarity with Israel.
The term “reason of state” refers to Germany’s commitment to Israel’s safety and security out of historical responsibility for the Holocaust under Nazi Germany between 1933 and 1945.
Israel has been killing Palestinians in the Gaza Strip nonstop in what has been widely labelled as the most documented genocide.
Meanwhile, on October 10, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock sparked outrage after justifying Israel’s ongoing killing of civilians in the Gaza Strip.
“When Hamas terrorists hide behind people, behind schools, then we get into very difficult areas, but we do not shy away from them. That’s why I made it clear at the United Nations that civilian locations can lose their protected status because terrorists exploit that,” she told the German Parliament.
