Germany’s Merz Reaffirms 'Never Again' to Israel, Sort Of
Al Jazeera highlights Germany’s Merz visiting Israel, framing it as an effort to mend 'strained ties' — an interesting turn of phrase given Germany’s unwavering, even self-flagellating, support for the Netanyahu government's actions in Gaza. While the report mentions Israel's 'genocidal war,' it conveniently sidesteps the concrete steps Germany has taken to enable it. Chancellor Olaf Scholz, for
instance, approved arms exports worth more than $300 million to Israel in 2023 , a ten-fold increase from the previous year, making Germany Israel's second-largest arms supplier after the United States. 'Strained ties' for whom, exactly? Perhaps for anyone still expecting Germany to apply its 'never again' pledge universally. This visit isn't about 'strain' between state actors; it's about
managing international optics while Berlin continues to provide the material and diplomatic cover for Netanyahu's government. One might wonder if 'never again' was a promise to humanity or a highly conditional loyalty oath to one specific state. The hypocrisy isn't 'strained'; it's blatant, painted in the red of Gaza and financed by German taxpayers who are apparently meant to just nod along.