MADRID (Realist English). Germany will finalize its stance on potential European Union sanctions against Israel ahead of an EU meeting in Copenhagen on October 1, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said during a visit to Spain on Thursday.
Standing alongside Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Merz said Israel’s actions in Gaza against Hamas were “not proportional” to its stated objectives. However, he stressed that Berlin does not consider them genocide, nor is recognition of Palestinian statehood currently under discussion in Germany.
His remarks illustrate a subtle shift: Berlin has grown more willing to voice criticism of Israel while remaining reluctant to endorse punitive measures against a country it feels a historic responsibility to protect.
The European Commission this week proposed suspending preferential trade arrangements covering about €5.8 billion ($6.9 billion) of Israeli exports, though the plan currently lacks majority support among member states.
“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. He added that the issue would be discussed at cabinet level and a common position announced at the Copenhagen meeting.
Merz acknowledged that Berlin and Madrid diverge in their conclusions. Sánchez, one of Europe’s most outspoken critics of Israel’s Gaza offensive, endorsed the Commission’s proposal and warned that Israel risked “greater isolation” if it continues its current course.
Merz emphasized that criticism of the Israeli government must not be allowed to fuel antisemitism. “On that point, the Spanish prime minister and I fully agree,” he said.
Germany’s balancing act comes as its Holocaust legacy continues to shape foreign policy but faces growing pressure amid the humanitarian toll in Gaza. The conflict, triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, has escalated in recent days as Israeli tanks advanced deeper into Gaza City and communications across the enclave were cut.
