Federal President in Israel: Steinmeier urges Netanyahu to end the war

That this trip is a special one becomes clear on Tuesday evening shortly before 7:30 a.m. Outside, a rocket alarm suddenly sounds. And inside the King David Hotel, announcements begin. People are being urged to go to the shelter. On the first basement level, there are also signposts. To the right is the swimming pool, to the left, "TO SAFETY ZONE" – that's what the sign reads. Already seated in the room are Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier , his wife, and many others. Welcome to Jerusalem.

For the hotel staff, such warnings are routine; apparently, there are currently one almost daily. The German President also takes it fairly calmly. After ten minutes, it's all over. The Israeli army later announced that they had successfully intercepted a rocket fired in Yemen. But the rocket warning shows that this trip is about more than just 60 years of German-Israeli relations.

Steinmeier actually came to Israel for this anniversary. "For us Germans, this was a gift we could not have expected after the devastation of the Second World War and the collapse of civilization in the Shoah," the Federal President said. He therefore flew to Israel on Tuesday morning—not for a brief visit, but for a full two days. Furthermore, Steinmeier's schedule includes many of his appointments with Isaac Herzog , the Israeli President.

Herzog and Steinmeier have known each other for a long time and are friends. The trip is intended to be a sign of closeness, not only between the two presidents, but also between the two countries. However, the trip is overshadowed by the war in the Gaza Strip. This is evident not only from the rocket warning.

On Tuesday afternoon, while Steinmeier was visiting the Israeli National Library, news circulated. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a new offensive to crush the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip in the coming days, the German Press Agency reported. At a meeting with Israeli reservists, Netanyahu stated: "In the coming days, we will go in with full force to complete the campaign." They will fight the war "to the end."

Instead of relaxation, escalation.

In the National Library, Steinmeier and Herzog also visited a room with a huge wall covered with photographs. These are photos of the victims of the massacre by the terrorist organization Hamas on October 7, 2023. Never since the Holocaust were more Jews killed in one day than on that day. That's one side of the story. The other is the relentlessness of the war Netanyahu is waging against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. A relentlessness that is causing immense suffering among the civilian population. The International Criminal Court has already issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

As luck would have it, Steinmeier's travel itinerary immediately following his visit to the National Library includes a meeting with Netanyahu himself. The meeting takes on added significance due to the Israeli Prime Minister's announcement that he will further escalate the war in Gaza.

During a brief press appearance in the basement of the National Library, Steinmeier was asked what he thought of the human rights organization Amnesty International's call to forgo the meeting with Netanyahu. "I think the call is very simple," the Federal President replied. "It would also be the easiest thing for politicians to avoid difficult discussions." That had never been his position, he added. And that was especially true in relations with Israel.

Regarding Netanyahu's announcement that he intends to expand the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Steinmeier simply said: "I very much hope that we will receive explanations, including explanations of what is intended in the medium and long term." Netanyahu and the Federal President cannot be asked directly what they discussed. There will be no subsequent press conference.

However, Steinmeier's spokeswoman stated that the Federal President emphasized Germany's continued responsibility for Israel's security, especially after the Hamas attack in October 2023. Furthermore, Steinmeier and Netanyahu discussed "the tensions in the region." Steinmeier emphasized "the urgent need" to "present political perspectives for ending the war – especially in dialogue with the Arab states." He also emphasized "the urgency" of restoring access to humanitarian aid for the population in Gaza.

However, Netanyahu believes that Hamas is using the aid deliveries for its own purposes. And he has no confidence in UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees. The conversation may therefore have also focused on how to create alternative routes for aid deliveries.

After the meeting with Netanyahu, Steinmeier then went to the King David Hotel, where he received the missile warning. With a slight delay, he later went to a dinner hosted by President Herzog.

This Wednesday, the two presidents plan to visit Kibbutz Beeri, near the border with the Gaza Strip. Hamas almost completely destroyed it during its attack on Israel in October 2023, killing more than 130 residents there. Steinmeier and Herzog had already visited the kibbutz together just a few weeks after the massacre. At the time, Steinmeier had pledged financial aid from Germany for reconstruction. Now the two presidents are traveling to the kibbutz again. It is also intended as a sign of solidarity and friendship – after 60 years of diplomatic relations.