German Chancellor meets Netanyahu, calls for creation of Palestinian State

Tel Aviv [Israel], December 7 (ANI): German Chancellor Friedrich Merz reaffirmed Berlin's support for the creation of a Palestinian state during his first official visit to Israel, even as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his firm opposition to such a move, Al Jazeera reported.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Jerusalem on Sunday, the two leaders outlined sharply different views on the future of Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
Merz's trip is playing out under the shadow of Israel's "genocidal war" on Gaza - although Merz, leader of one of Israel's staunchest supporters, does not consider it a genocide, as per Al Jazeera.
Merz said Germany, one of Israel's most unwavering allies, wanted a new Middle East that recognised a Palestinian state alongside the State of Israel, and that negotiations on the creation of such a state must begin now.
Netanyahu, however, dismissed the idea outright. He said that the Israeli public overwhelmingly opposed a two-state solution and noted that annexation of the occupied West Bank -- a concern Merz raised and something even the administration of US President Donald Trump has rejected -- remained part of Israel's internal debate, even if no immediate changes were expected.
"The purpose of a Palestinian state is to destroy the Jewish state," Netanyahu claimed without expanding.
The Israeli leader said the first stage of Trump's Gaza plan was "nearly complete" and that he expected "very important conversations" later in December on the next phase. He added that he would meet Trump later this month as discussions continued, according to Al Jazeera.
Before he met with Netanyahu, Merz visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, where he reiterated Germany's historic commitment to Israel's security.
He said Germany "must stand up for the existence and security of Israel," acknowledging his country's "enduring historical responsibility" for the Holocaust.
Merz arrived in Israel on Saturday and was welcomed at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport by Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who described him as "a friend of Israel." He later met President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem, continuing a packed schedule focused on the region's shifting political landscape. (ANI)