Germany should change its policy toward Israel amid mounting violence against Palestinians in the occupied territories, former German Ambassador to Israel Steffen Seibert said yesterday.
In an interview with Die Zeit, Seibert said Israel’s settlement policy amounts to ‘displacement through psychological and physical violence.’
He stressed that former Chancellor Angela Merkel’s commitment to Israel’s security as part of Germany’s national interest applies ‘within Israel’s internationally recognised borders’, not to settlers in the occupied West Bank.
‘These are illegal settlements under international law,’ Seibert said, adding that Germany’s national interest ‘does not support a sense of superiority over another population.’
Seibert urged Berlin to clarify what it means when it says it stands by Israel, stressing that support for Israel does not extend to every action of its government, including the occupation.
While a significant departure from Germany’s traditionally unwavering support for Israel, Seibert’s remarks fall short of addressing the broader reality of Palestinian dispossession. Germany still refuses to confront the occupation itself, support Palestinian rights and self-determination, or move beyond expressions of concern.
