Germany reacts cautiously to the results of the Israeli parliamentary elections. Although two days have passed since the elections, German politicians continue to respond due to the lack of clarity regarding the leadership of the new government. While the right-wing group led by Benjamin Netanyahu is ahead of the opposition group led by Gadi Eisenkot, neither side has a clear path to form a majority in the Knesset. Forming a coalition government is likely to face many challenges.
Cautious reactions from Germany
Martin Geise, spokesperson for German Foreign Minister Johan Wadephul, refrained from commenting on the election results at a regular press conference on Wednesday in Berlin and emphasized that Germany has been in contact with many Israeli officials and politicians through the German ambassador. Wadephul said: "The Jewish state and Germany are linked through our history, and we will do everything we can to cooperate with any future government."
Humanitarian and political challenges
One of the concerns of the German government is providing aid to the people of Gaza. Prolonged negotiations to form a coalition could delay necessary progress. Rim Alabali Radwan, Minister for Development, warned in an interview with Politico: "Winter is coming, and it will be difficult." She emphasized the need to create more opportunities for aid organizations to provide vital assistance to Gaza, stating that this issue cannot wait for coalition negotiations.
In recent interviews, Alabali Radwan spoke about the increase in Israeli attacks on Palestinian residents in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, adding: "The violence of extremists must stop. The Netanyahu government is temporarily in power, and this means that this situation must come to an end." All settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories are considered illegal under international law.
Relations between Germany and Israel have been particularly close due to Germany's historical responsibility for the murder of millions of European Jews during the Nazi era. However, recently the German government has distanced itself from Netanyahu's policies, at least in public statements.
