Germany will reach a decision on whether to back European Union sanctions against Israel before a European Union meeting in Copenhagen in October, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on a visit to Madrid on Thursday.
Speaking alongside Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Merz said Israel’s actions in Gaza against Hamas were not proportional to its stated goals, but said Germany did not share the view that the actions amounted to genocide. He added that for Germany, the recognition of Palestinian statehood was not currently up for debate.
Merz’s comments underscore how Germany has become increasingly willing to criticize Israel but is still reluctant to take punitive measures against a country for which its government feels a special responsibility.
The European Commission on Wednesday proposed suspending a trade arrangement affecting about 5.8 billion euros ($6.87 billion) of Israeli exports due to the Gaza war, although the measure does not currently have enough support among EU nations to pass.
“We will reach a final opinion of the German government on these questions, which now need to be answered at the European level, in the coming days,” Merz said
“We will discuss these issues again next week at the federal cabinet level. I assume that we will then have a position at the informal council meeting on October 1 in Copenhagen that will also be supported by the entire German government.”
Merz also acknowledged that his and Sanchez’s governments hold “divergent views” on the conflict and draw “different conclusions” regarding the situation.
“Criticism of the Israeli government must be possible, but we must never allow it to be used to incite hatred against Jews,” he said, adding that he and the Spanish premier agreed on this point.
Sanchez, whose government is one of the leading critics of Israel in Europe, voiced his full support for the European Commission’s proposed sanctions against Israel, warning that its Gaza offensive would leave it “more isolated.”
Germany maintains it has a particular obligation to Israel because of its responsibility for the Holocaust of Europe’s Jews, a position that has come under strain due to growing European alarm at the Gaza conflict, which was sparked by the Hamas terror group’s October 7, 2023, invasion of southern Israel.
Israeli tanks were advancing on Thursday in two Gaza City areas that are gateways to the city center, while internet and phone lines were cut off across the Gaza Strip, a sign that ground operations were likely to further escalate imminently.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.