section_path: Political positions/Foreign policy/Conflicts in the Middle East
section_name: Conflicts in the Middle East
paragraph_text: Conflicts in the Middle East
  
  Merz is a staunch supporter of Israel. However, after he was elected chancellor he has expressed "serious concern about Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip". He does not see any role for Germany as a mediator in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. However, Merz has opined that the " two-state solution remains the right long-term goal for peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians. The Palestinians' recognition of Israel's right to exist is a basic prerequisite on the way there".
  
  In 2023, he said, in response to the United States' admonition to Israel to abide by international law, the US had a different relationship to Israel than Germany, and that Germany has an obligation to help the country "without ifs and buts". In October 2024, Merz successfully urged the German government to resume weapons deliveries to Israel, including spare parts for tanks. He proposed stripping dual nationals of their German citizenship for protesting against Israel.
  
  In December 2024, after the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, he called on Europe to strengthen its ties with Turkey "to bring political pacification to this region".
  
  He criticized the International Criminal Court 's (ICC) decision to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes during the Gaza war. In February 2025, one day after the 2025 German federal election, he announced his will to invite Netanyahu to Germany, "as an open challenge" to the decision of the ICC.
  
  In May 2025, Merz changed his tone, saying he no longer understands Israel's policy in Gaza.
  
  Following the Israeli strikes on Iran on 13 June 2025, Merz stressed that "the goal must remain that Iran cannot develop nuclear weapons", and reaffirmed Israel's "right to defend its existence and the security of its citizens." Merz said in an interview to the German public television network ZDF on 17 June 2025, on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada, that "This is the dirty work that Israel is doing for all of us."