Germany's government announced Thursday that it will vote in favor of a UN resolution supporting a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Arab conflict, but stressed it does not believe the time is right to recognize a Palestinian state.
A government spokesman told Reuters that Berlin "has always advocated a two-state solution and is asking for that all the time."
The spokesman added that Germany's support for the resolution "simply describes the status quo in international law."
The spokesman also noted that Chancellor Friedrich Merz "just mentioned two days ago again that Germany does not see that the time has come for the recognition of the Palestinian state."
The contradiction in Germany's position comes as several nations prepare to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly this month. Britain, France, Canada, Australia, and Belgium have all indicated their intention to do so.
Britain, however, noted that it could hold back if Israel takes steps to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and commits to a long-term peace process.
Merz said in late August, during a joint news conference with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, that his country would not join the initiative of other countries to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly.
"The position of the federal government is clear, as far as the possible recognition of the state of Palestine is concerned," he said at the time, adding, "Canada knows this. We will not join this initiative. We don't see the requirements met."
Germany has in the past described a move to recognize a Palestinian state as “counterproductive”. Merz’s predecessor, Olaf Scholz, said last year that the time was not ripe to recognize a Palestinian state, after three other European nations announced plans to do so.