Wadephul accuses Israel of violating International law

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) has accused Israel's government of violating international law for approving further Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. "This settlement policy, in this form, is contrary to international law; it literally blocks the possibility of a two-state solution," Wadephul said at a meeting with his Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar in Berlin on Thursday.

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The "extremely tense situation in the West Bank" worries him, Wadephul said. "Even as friends, we cannot ignore it." The fact that individual government members are calling for the annexation of the West Bank "costs trust in the government – ​​among our neighbors, our allies, and our closest friends," the Federal Foreign Minister warned. 

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Wadephul also called on Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. He said he was "concerned about the people in Gaza who don't know how to get food and medicine," Wadephul said. "People who walk long distances to reach aid distribution points and come back empty-handed—in the worst case, they don't come back at all because they've been killed."

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Aid organizations must now be enabled to operate "quickly and comprehensively" in the Gaza Strip, Wadephul said. "This is not only a humanitarian imperative, it is also applicable international law," he added.

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Despite its sincerity in support for Israel, Germany has a duty to call for compliance with these principles, Wadephul said. "Germany has a commitment to the security and existence of the State of Israel, and Germany is also committed to international law," he said. "These are two sides of the same coin, and for me, both are lessons from the past."

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"As a friend of Israel, I say quite openly and consciously: We want a good future for Israel, a future among neighbors with whom Israel lives peacefully side by side," Wadephul said. In the current situation, Israel must strive for diplomatic recognition by Saudi Arabia and Syria. This would be "a contribution to Israel's security and stability in the entire Middle East that can hardly be overestimated."

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At the same time, Wadephul assured his colleague Saar that Germany would support Israel against the threat from Iran. "We share the conviction that Iran must never acquire nuclear weapons," Wadephul said. "Israel can rely on Germany."