Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar met with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul in Berlin on Thursday. "Thank you, my friend, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. Thank you for your warm hospitality and thank you for the friendly discussions," said Sa'ar. "It was an honor to host you in Jerusalem. And it is an honor to be here in Berlin today. I view it as an expression of the strategic relations between Israel and Germany."
Sa'ar invited Wadephul to visit Israel again: "I invited you today to come again soon to Israel - to continue our friendly and constructive dialogue."
Addressing the scope of their talks, Sa'ar remarked, "The press will be surprised to hear from me that we discussed a wide range of issues today: global issues, European issues, regional issues, and bilateral issues."
He expressed concern over rising antisemitism: "80 years after the Holocaust, antisemitism has spread, unfortunately, across the world, especially in Europe." He warned of existential threats to Israel: "80 years after the Holocaust, the Jewish state is under an open threat to eliminate it. Hamas, the Houthis, Hezbollah, and above all Iran - openly act to eliminate us. Yet there are those who seek to turn the victim into the aggressor."
"Let me be clear: Hamas is the one solely responsible for the beginning of this war and also for its continuation. Hamas initiated this war. Only Hamas is responsible for the suffering of both Israelis and Palestinians," he said.
Sa'ar emphasized Israel's commitment to a ceasefire deal: "Israel said Yes to Special Envoy Steve Witkoff's proposal for a hostage deal 19 days ago. Unfortunately, Hamas rejected it. I say it here in the clearest possible terms: Israel is serious in our will and our intent to achieve a deal."
He added: "I expect all those who value these goals - and of course I know Germany's position - to contribute to achieving them. And to exert pressure on Hamas through the channels that influence it."
Warning against pressure on Israel, he said: "Pressure on Israel. Attacks, statements and decisions against Israel. Threatening Israel with sanctions, as some other European countries are doing. Not only will it not help this effort: It will cause Hamas to harden its stance."
"Last night, in a special operation, Israeli forces brought home the bodies of two of our hostages being held in Gaza: Gadi Chagai and Judy Weinstein - a husband and a wife," Sa'ar reported. "Israel is committed to bringing all of our hostages back home: alive and dead."
On the humanitarian front, Sa'ar stated: "During my friend Foreign Minister Wadephul's recent visit to Israel, he expressed Germany's concerns on the humanitarian topic. I presented him the plan that we were then working on. In the few weeks that have passed, progress has been made. Today, there are two humanitarian efforts."
"We are maintaining both humanitarian channels in order to address the situation. Firstly, we are continuing with the old plan, through UN agencies. But frankly, this method has unfortunately enabled Hamas to empower itself over the civilian population. The aid became an economic source for Hamas, fueling its war machine."
"Secondly, it's the second week in which Israel is facilitating the American initiative. An international fund is allocating aid directly to the people of Gaza, not through Hamas. And within one week, 7 million meals have already been distributed to the people of Gaza. This new system does not allow Hamas to take advantage of the aid."
"We believe that expanding it will help shorten the war. It will hurt Hamas' economy. It will hurt its stronghold over the people of Gaza. We already see, through public protests in Gaza, we see the people began to express their desire to see the end of Hamas' cruel rule over Gaza. We have not seen such images in the past. We ask our German friends to give an opportunity for this effort to succeed. This effort has the potential to release the Palestinian population from the chokehold of Hamas. And to enable the end of this war."
Turning to Iran, Sa'ar said: "On Saturday, the IAEA issued a grave report on Iran's nuclear program. It presents a stark picture - despite countless warnings by the international community, Iran is totally determined to complete its nuclear weapons program."
"It reinforces what Israel has said for years - the purpose of Iran's nuclear program is not peaceful. This is clear from the alarming scope of Iran's uranium enrichment activity. This scope exists only in countries actively pursuing nuclear weapons. It has no civilian justification. It indicates clearly - Iran remains in non-compliance of its fundamental commitments and obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). It continues to withhold cooperation from IAEA inspectors. Following this report, I call on the international community to act now to stop Iran."
Sa'ar concluded with a reference to the historical context of Israel-Germany relations: "We mark 60 years of special relations between Israel and Germany. We will maintain and strengthen this friendship. They began after the greatest tragedy in the history of our people and of mankind. We need Germany's support today, during our difficult hours."
"Israel is facing a military, legal, diplomatic and economic attack. And we know that Germany will stand by our side on the international stage. Thank you."