Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor has accused German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier of violating Germany’s “Staatsräson” - its core reason of state, or fundamental national commitment, in this case, to Israel’s security. Speaking to the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND), Prosor said Steinmeier’s remarks effectively call into question Israel’s right to self-defense. He added that this is “difficult to reconcile with the statement that Israel’s security is part of Germany’s reason of state.”
At the end of March, Steinmeier said in a speech at the German Foreign Office: “Our foreign policy does not become more convincing by refusing to call a violation of international law what it is.” Speaking about the war in Iran, he added: “This war is in violation of international law, there is little doubt about that.” His remarks marked a different tone from the German government, which has so far avoided labeling the war as a violation of international law.
Prosor stressed that the “Iranian mullahs” want to destroy Israel. “Before we defended ourselves, I did not hear any German politician criticize Iran’s behavior as a violation of international law,” he said. According to him, Europe appears not to recognize the level of threat facing Israel. “Israel’s right to self-defense exists on paper, but everything we actually do is criticized. Unfortunately, often also from Germany.”
The ambassador said that Germany’s Staatsräson does not necessarily mean military support. “We need Germany primarily on the international stage. In bodies such as the United Nations, there are constant attempts to demonize and delegitimize Israel, Germany must take a clear position there.”
Prosor also accused German Chancellor Friedrich Merz of applying double standards in his approach to Israel. He said that since the federal election, he has not heard anything further from Merz regarding hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Germany.
“Israel is accused of violating international law and Netanyahu is unwelcome. But Syria’s ruler (Ahmed) al-Sharaa is received in Berlin, despite his past as a jihadist and although his troops slaughtered the Kurds in northern Syria just a month ago. No one calls that a violation of international law? Remarkable,” Prosor said.
He added that he would welcome the democratically elected Israeli prime minister visiting Berlin. An arrest warrant has been issued against Netanyahu by the International Criminal Court over suspected war crimes in the Gaza Strip.
Prosor defended the US-Israeli war against Iran and also justified the fact that Europe was not informed in advance. He expressed mistrust toward Europe, saying: “We rarely say what we plan militarily. Only under the strictest secrecy could the decapitation strike against the Iranian leadership succeed.”
He criticized Europe’s long-standing approach to Iran: “For 47 years, Europe allowed itself to be strung along by Iran and constantly looked for excuses not to act against Tehran. We did not have that luxury: we had to eliminate the nuclear threat.”
At the same time, Prosor rejected comments by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who had called for annexing southern Lebanon. “We will advance as far as necessary and remain as long as needed until the shelling of Israel stops and our residents are safe. A permanent occupation is not planned. Period.”
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