Baerbock travels to Israel: Ambassador criticizes Netanyahu

Foreign Minister Baerbock is travelling to Israel on Thursday. Before her visit, the German ambassador criticised the Netanyahu government.

Tel Aviv – On Thursday evening (5 September), Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) is expected to visit Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories on her Middle East trip. The Foreign Minister wants to campaign for a ceasefire in talks on Friday. Her ambassador in Tel Aviv, Steffen Seibert, said in an interview with the portal table.media a certain frustration with the political situation in Israel and the policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resonate through.

Military offensive in the West Bank, demonstrations in Israel – delicate timing for Baerbock’s visit

Baerbock visits a tense country: In Israel, protests took place after six Israeli hostages were held in the hands of Hamas were murdered, tens of thousands for a ceasefire agreement and against the Gaza-policy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Since the end of August, Israel’s military has been attacking many targets in the West Bank in an operation described as an anti-terror operation. It is the largest military operation in the West Bank in 20 years, reported the Daily News. The taz wrote about escape movements from refugee camps in the West Bank, which are considered strongholds of Islamist terrorism.

According to the Ministry of Health in Ramallah, a total of 39 Palestinians have been killed in the military offensive in the West Bank. The war in Gaza continues unabated and Hamas continues to hold dozens of Israeli civilians hostage.

“Great rumblings” in Israeli society – union reacted to murdered hostages with strikes

Seibert sensed a “great rumbling” in Israeli society. “Many Israelis feel that the war in Gaza must now come to an end,” Seibert said, describing his impressions of Israel. Protests against Netanyahu’s war policy have been going on for months, but after the murder of the six hostages, the Histadrut trade union federation called for a general strike, which was ended shortly afterwards by a court. At least two of those murdered were, according to Israeli media reports, intended for exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

According to Seibert, there is a growing realization that more military pressure “poses a threat to the hostages.” He also tends to share this view. A diplomat in a crisis region can hardly express himself more clearly. At the same time, one should not underestimate the deep-seated trauma caused to the Israelis by the Hamas massacres of October 7 and the suffering of the hostages taken almost a year ago.

Hostage deal stalls: Netanyahu and Israel’s intelligence chief disagree over troop withdrawal

The indirect negotiations between Israel and the terrorist organization Hamas about a ceasefire and the exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners have recently stalled on two points. As unnamed US officials told the US portal Axios on Thursday, the questions of whether Israel’s military will withdraw from the Gaza-Egypt border and which Palestinian prisoners will be released remain unanswered. According to a report by the Times of Israel Intelligence chief David Barnea is said to have already agreed to a partial withdrawal of Israel. Netanyahu, on the other hand, demanded at the weekend that Israel’s troops remain.

Israel Ambassador Seibert: Germany does not issue “blank checks”

Ambassador Seibert criticized the political lack of prospects that Netanyahu has maneuvered Israel into. Germany stands by Israel’s side without issuing “blank checks.” Seibert believes that criticism from Germany is therefore taken seriously in Israel. Seibert referred to the humanitarian situation of the civilian population in Gaza, the violence of extremist Israeli settlers in the West Bank and the “absence of any political initiative to resolve the conflict with the Palestinians.”