German voters want Friedrich Merz to put pressure on Israel
Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has been in office for almost 100 days. This is the time to take stock of the new government's overall performance.
Back in May, Merz stated in an interview that he could no longer understand what goals Israel was pursuing in the Gaza Strip. Most recently, the chancellor unequivocally called on Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to alleviate the suffering of the approximately 2 million people living in the narrow coastal strip on the eastern Mediterranean. Unlike France, the UK and Canada, however, Germany is still hesitant to recognize a Palestinian state.
On Friday, the German government imposed a partial export ban on military equipment to Israel. Germany will "not approve any exports of military equipment that could be used in the Gaza Strip until further notice," Merz said.
Do people in Germany think this is the right course of action? According to the latest poll, a clear majority believes the chancellor should increase pressure on Israel.
However, the........
© Deutsche Welle
