Question:

Foreign Minister, Jews in Germany are experiencing a resurgence of violent antisemitism. How do you assure your international interlocutors that Jewish life in Germany is safe and has a future?

Foreign Minister Baerbock:

I visited a Jewish kindergarten this week that is not able to publish its address for fear of attacks. I know of Jewish children who hide their Star of David necklace when they go on a school trip because they are afraid of being spat at in broad daylight. I am absolutely devastated that this is what daily life is like for Jews in Germany in 2023. It is unbearable. That is why we are taking an unequivocal stand as policymakers and as a society against antisemitism and hatred of Israel. At the same time, the kindergarten I mentioned has just set up a new group for Israeli children who came with their parents to Germany as a safe place after 7 October. Be it in Germany or abroad, this German Government is spelling out that Jewish people are part of our society and that Jewish life belongs in Germany. And we are not powerless as a state, given that German criminal law is unambiguous. Antisemitic hate speech is punishable by law. And promoting and protecting Jewish life in Germany is a responsibility of our state.

Question:

After the massacres by Hamas, you assured Israel of Germany’s solidarity. You used a remarkable phrase: “At this time, we are all Israelis.” How do you put this into practice?

Foreign Minister Baerbock:

Israel’s security is non-negotiable for us. That means we must do everything we can so that never again do Jewish people have to hide in fear of their lives ‒ either in Israel or anywhere else. The terror attacks of 7 October marked a turning point. Their incredible brutality shook Israel’s sense of safety to the core. I have visited the Middle East in recent weeks. I tell my interlocutors in the region something that one cannot say often enough these days: not only does Israel have the right to defend itself in line with international law against Hamas’s terror, it also has a duty to protect its population. That is precisely why the Federal Chancellor and I have stated so clearly that we support humanitarian pauses, but not the blanket call for a ceasefire, as Israel naturally must be able to defend itself against the ongoing terror.

Question:

You are sending a mixed message. On the one hand, you stand with Israel, while on the other, you deny the Jewish state support in the United Nations. The Czech Republic and Austria recently voted against a resolution that stabs Israel in the back ‒ but Germany abstained. Why?

Foreign Minister Baerbock:

Germany abstained in the resolution rather than voting in favour of it for the very reason that Israel’s security is so important to us. The resolution has serious shortcomings. For example, it does not clearly name Hamas’s terror and it does not reiterate Israel’s right to self-defence. We couldn’t sign that. But the complexity of the situation also means that we need to realise what script Hamas is following with its terror. Not only does Hamas want to annihilate Israel, it also wants to sow hatred in order to thwart Israel’s efforts to normalise relations with some of its Arab partners in order to create new fronts. I see preventing that as part of Germany’s support for Israel’s security. To this end, we need to keep the channels of communication open with the constructive Arab countries, including via negotiations on UN resolutions. Along with our partners, we were able to ensure that the resolution condemned the terror of 7 October and called for the hostages to be released. That was by no means enough for a vote in favour of the resolution, but it is a wedge in the door that keeps the channels of communication open. And we need these channels for Israel’s long-term security, which can only be achieved by a two-state solution.

Question:

On the topic of Israel and Hamas, you said last week on ZDF that “there is not just one point of view in this terrible situation.” How did you mean this sentence?

Foreign Minister Baerbock:

I would ask that comments not be taken out of context, especially in this truly terrible situation. I was not referring to Hamas, but rather to the children, women and families who are being used by Hamas as human shields. According to the UN, thousands of people have died in the past weeks, including many, many children. Denying this reality won’t get us anywhere. Hamas’s terror is the cause of this suffering, too. And that is exactly why I speak about both this suffering and the barbaric crimes against 1400 Israelis and the hostages, who include women and children. On ZDF and at the UN Security Council, I call on people to put themselves in the other side’s position. Every human life has the same value. That is why I spoke in Jordan and with other Arab partners about the terrible images of the Hamas terror that I saw in Israel. And that is why I also speak with my Israeli counterpart about the need to protect the civilian population in Gaza.

Question:

Hamas is still holding over 200 hostages, including Germans. What is the German Government doing to free them?

Foreign Minister Baerbock:

The abduction of these people to Gaza is one of the most perfidious aspects of Hamas’s terror. I met relatives of the German-Israeli hostages in Israel. When I was sitting beside a young father, he showed me a video on his phone. He said the worst moment was when he found a video of his wife and two small daughters online. They were screaming desperately on the back of a jeep abducting them to Gaza. At a time like this, my team and I are not merely diplomats. As mothers, fathers, sons or daughters, we feel people’s pain. The hostages’ release is my top priority. That is why I have set up a special task force in the Federal Foreign Office that meets every day. We are doing everything in our power and using all available channels of communication to bring about the hostages’ immediate release.

Question:

It is said that relations between Berlin and Jerusalem are often characterised by friendly criticism. What do you currently advise your interlocutors in Israel?

Foreign Minister Baerbock:

We here in Germany can hardly imagine what Israel is enduring: constant terror attacks and Hamas’s aim to annihilate Israel, an aim shared by other actors in the region, that culminated in the barbarism of 7 October. That is why it is not our place to give advice. As a close friend, I see it as our role to assure Israel, the country to whose security we are committed, of our full support in the fight against Hamas and, as a friend, to do our utmost to ensure that Israel does not lose itself in its grief. Just like our US friends, we also tell our Israeli friends that the protection of civilians in Gaza must be a top priority in this fight. That, too, is why we stand ready to provide humanitarian assistance to alleviate the situation of the people in Gaza, who are also suffering under Hamas’s terror. It is in Israel’s interest that the suffering in Gaza does not serve as an incubator for further terror.

Interview: Tobias Kühn

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