German opposition urges government to recognize Palestinian state

BERLIN

Germany's Left Party on Monday urged Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government to recognize Palestine as a state, warning that Berlin's support for Netanyahu could make it complicit in war crimes committed in Gaza.

In a press conference in Berlin, Left Party co-chair Ines Schwerdtner pointed to the UK, Canada, Australia and Portugal's recognition of Palestine, stressing that Germany should take the same step to stop the killings and make a peace process possible.

She rejected the Merz government's position that Palestinian statehood could only be recognized at the end of potential peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.

"We say it must be exactly the other way around - the state of Palestine must be recognized now in order to have peace negotiations. If there is no state, who should one negotiate peace with?" Schwerdtner said.

She also criticized Chancellor Merz and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul for blocking sanctions that other European Union countries sought to impose on Netanyahu's government.

"The fact that other European states are taking the lead while Germany continues to block action clearly shows complicity. The German government is continuing to supply weapons to Israel and blocking the suspension of the EU Association Agreement with Israel," she said.

Schwerdtner warned of serious consequences if Germany doesn't change course. "The German government must finally act; otherwise, it will become complicit in war crimes, and courts will decide what consequences this will have. But the political consequences are already foreseeable," she stressed.

The Left Party's co-leader called on Germany to immediately recognize the Palestinian state, implement a comprehensive weapons embargo on Israel, and suspend the EU's trade deal to pressure the Netanyahu government into ending its brutal military campaign in Gaza.