Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz held a joint press conference today (Sunday) in Jerusalem.
Chancellor Merz opened the press conference by saying: "I want to thank Netanyahu for your hospitality and the warm welcome. This is not my first visit here, but it is my first visit as Chancellor. I come as a friend of Israel who knows that the friendship between Germany and Israel is extremely valuable and will never be a normal matter.
"My visit comes at a difficult time for the people of Israel. That is why I came later than I had wanted, and I want to say a few basic things: I started my visit at Yad Vashem. The trauma of the Holocaust is part of the Jewish identity and remains a shaping force for the identity of my country and should remain so. The memory will always be preserved, and we will remember the monstrous crime that Germans committed against the Jewish people. Germany's responsibility at Yad Vashem is tangible. That is why Germany will always stand by Israel's security and its right to exist. This is the foundation of our relations today and forever.
"After the horrific terrorist attack carried out by Hamas on October 7, Germany stood by Israel. We mourned the dead together with Israel. We share your concerns about the fate of the hostages, some of whom are German. Israel has the right and duty to protect its citizens and its existence against those who deny the Jewish and democratic state and its right to exist. No country can accept that its citizens are murdered, kidnapped, and tortured as happened in kibbutzim by Islamic terrorism. Therefore, we stand by you, after others turned their backs on you."
In the shadow of the arms embargo imposed on Israel, Merz said: "The actions of the Israeli government have created a dilemma for us. Germany also has to protect human rights and the rule of law, which are part of our constitution after the Holocaust. As a democratic state, Israel should adhere to the standards of international law in its military actions. We needed to send a clear message. We had criticism in Germany of the Israeli government - that is vital - this is how it works between free societies. Relations can withstand criticism, but criticism must not be used as an excuse for antisemitism, and certainly not in Germany. I wish you, my dear Bibi, that the decisions will contribute to peace and good neighborly relations. Germany will stand in friendship with your country, and I personally will."
"We are providing humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. We will help with reconstruction and continue to be diplomatically involved. Hamas cannot have a role in Gaza. Hamas can no longer pose a threat to Israel. We need to look at the bigger picture - Israelis and Palestinians have suffered - we need to lay the foundations for a new order in which everyone can live in peace, security, and respect.
"The goal is to create a new Middle East that recognizes and accepts Israel as an integral part. A Palestinian state and a two-state solution can only be implemented through negotiations. Germany believes that recognition of a Palestinian state should come at the end of the process, not at the beginning. We will assist the Palestinian Authority, despite the fact that it can be criticized, and I do so. We see steps toward reform, and we need to provide assistance."
Prime Minister Netanyahu referred to the stages of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza: "The first phase is almost complete, and we hope to soon move to the second phase, which is more difficult. The Arab world needs to pressure Hamas to disarm. There is a third phase, as I told the Chancellor - to prevent escalation in Gaza."
The Prime Minister also addressed efforts to create a Palestinian state, saying: "We will not create a state that is committed to our destruction."
Later in his remarks, Netanyahu addressed his request for a pardon from President Isaac Herzog and vowed that he would "not retire from politics in exchange for a pardon."