The German Foreign Minister said yesterday that recognition of a Palestinian state should come at the end of negotiations on a two-state solution, but warned that Berlin would react to any unilateral moves, following the "annexation threats" coming from some Israeli ministers.
Johan Wadeful said this ahead of a trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories, which Berlin presented as a fact-finding mission, amid growing alarm over the starvation of the population in Gaza.
His words are Germany's sharpest warning yet to Israel, as Western countries step up pressure. In recent weeks, Britain, Canada and France have signaled their readiness to recognize a Palestinian state in Israeli-occupied territories during the United Nations General Assembly in September.
However, critics argue that Germany's response remains too cautious, shaped by a lingering sense of historical guilt over the Holocaust and fueled by pro-Israel sentiment in influential media circles, which weakens the West's ability to collectively exert substantial pressure on Israel, according to Reuters.
Vadeful reiterated Germany's position that a sustainable solution to the war in Gaza can only be achieved through negotiations on the establishment of two states - with Palestine existing in peace alongside Israel.
"In light of open threats of annexation from parts of the Israeli government, a growing number of countries, including many in Europe, are now ready to recognize a Palestinian state even without a prior negotiation process. The region and the Middle East peace process are at a turning point," said Wadeful.
"That process must start now. If unilateral steps are taken, Germany will also be forced to respond."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition includes two far-right parties that advocate for the complete occupation of Gaza and the rebuilding of Jewish settlements in the enclave. Two ministers also supported the annexation of the West Bank yesterday.
The death toll from nearly two years of war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas surpassed 60.000 this week. More civilians are dying of hunger and malnutrition, while images of starving children are shocking the world and intensifying criticism of Israel's restrictions on humanitarian access.
Germany, along with the United States, has long been one of Israel's most loyal allies and its largest arms suppliers.
German officials say their approach to Israel is driven by a special responsibility, known as “staatsraison,” stemming from the legacy of the Nazi Holocaust. They argue they can achieve more through behind-the-scenes diplomatic channels than through public statements.
Pro-Israeli German media
The largest media house in Germany, Axel Springer, which publishes the highest-circulation daily newspaper Bild, as well as other publications such as Welt and Politico, has a clearly stated commitment to support Israel in its core corporate principles, Reuters writes.
This clause obliges “Axel Springer” and its employees to adhere to a pro-Israel editorial policy.
Bild, for example, published an article on Thursday condemning the “hunger campaign” against Israel and Western countries’ moves to increase pressure on the country, saying they had prolonged the war in Gaza by encouraging Hamas to abandon ceasefire talks. The paper praised Germany for not doing so.
In another article the same day, as reported by Reuters, Bild condemned "a campaign aimed at the moral destruction of Israel."
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has long been pro-Israel. In February, he said he would find a way for Netanyahu to visit Germany without being arrested under the International Criminal Court's warrant.
But the tone in Berlin has changed in recent weeks, along with a shift in public opinion. According to a poll published on June 4, 63 percent of Germans said Israel's military campaign in Gaza had gone too far.
Merck said on Monday that measures such as suspending the agreement between the European Union and Israel are now on the table, in order to increase pressure on the country over the "catastrophic" situation in Gaza.
The European Commission proposed on Monday to restrict Israel's access to its flagship research funding program, but the proposal does not yet have enough support to be adopted, with the position of influential Germany in particular uncertain.
Portugal cautiously moves towards recognizing Palestinian state
Portugal's center-right government will consult with the main political parties and conservative President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa regarding the possible recognition of a Palestinian state, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro said yesterday.
Unlike neighboring Spain, whose leftist government recognized Palestinian statehood in May 2024 along with Ireland and Norway, and called on other EU members to do the same, Portugal has taken a more cautious stance, stating that it wants to first agree on a common position with other EU countries.
“The government has decided to begin consultations with the president and political parties represented in parliament, with the aim of considering the recognition of the Palestinian state in a process that could be concluded... during the United Nations General Assembly in September,” Montenegro said in a statement.
About 144 out of 193 United Nations members recognize Palestine as a state, including most countries of the global south, as well as Russia, China and India.
However, only a small number of the 27 EU members - mostly former communist countries, as well as Sweden and Cyprus - have done so.
The UN General Assembly approved the de facto recognition of the sovereign state of Palestine in November 2012, upgrading its observer status in the world organization from “entity” to “non-member state”.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed yesterday the steps towards recognizing a Palestinian state.
"We consider the recent humanitarian reactions coming from Europe, especially from France and Britain, to be very significant. We welcome every step that leads to the recognition of the state of Palestine," Erdogan said.
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