Opinion: Merkel's Mideast Stance Ignores German-Arab Ties

With a view to Germany's unique historical relationship to Israel, Chancellor Angela Merkel makes her position clear that she is behind Israel in the current Middle East conflict. She has reminded us of what triggered the current crisis in the already unstable Middle East. She has warned Israel's government, as led by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, that its means must be commensurate with the situation. At the same time, she has demanded that Hezbollah guerillas first release the Israeli soldiers they kidnapped and end their rocket strikes against Israel before a ceasefire can occur.

That this would only mean a carte blanche for Israel to conduct war is obvious.

No feel for the Arab world

In contrast to former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, who displayed a remarkable sense for the importance of German-Arab ties and made great efforts to deepen them, Schröder's successor shows no noteworthy interest in those ties. Indeed, Merkel's position toward the war in the Middle East conveys indifference toward the significance and unique features of German-Arab relations.

In the past 10 years, trade relations between Germany and the Arab world have absolutely boomed. Trade between Germany and Arab nations attained a value of 29 billion euros ($37 billion) in 2005. Compare that to 2001, when trade volume stood at less than 22 billion euros. Moreover, Arab investments moved from the United States to Germany as a result of the US restrictions imposed after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Of course, the SPD/Green party government's rejection of the illegal war waged on Iraq in 2003 gave Germany a new aura of neutrality -- and not only in the Arab world. In addition, then-Chancellor Schröder made several visits to Arab countries, particularly to the Persian Gulf states. The visits helped pave the way to more trade and investment agreements with German companies. The visits also contributed to better understanding between opposing sides regarding the Middle East conflict.

Merkel's distant stance toward Europe

Though the contract between the two parties of Germany's ruling coalition specifies continuity in the government's Middle East policies as they have been pursued until now, Merkel is following a course aligned with that of US President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair. This has led to a weakening of the German-French alignment and, consequently, that of the European Union, which nowadays appears weaker than ever as a player in global politics, particularly concerning the Middle East.

In fact, Merkel's stance toward the Middle East has become increasingly Washington-oriented since she took office last fall. This development has come out in full force since the outbreak of the war in Lebanon.

In her first statement about the war, Merkel repeated George W. Bush's comment about Israel's right to defend itself without, however, mentioning that civilians may not be killed in the process, and that European-Arab relations may not be damaged. Furthermore, while the European Union's foreign ministers were trying to come to an agreement on a uniform approach to the situation which demanded an immediate ceasefire, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier for his part was supporting London and demanded only a cessation of hostilities.

Opinion diverges among politicians

Public opinion, as well as that of politicians -- whose number is growing as the scope and effects of Israel's bombing of Lebanon on human lives become increasingly clear -- diverges from Merkel's view. Merkel herself has until now not visited one Arab country.

One of these politicians is Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, the federal minister for economic cooperation and development, who has said the Israeli government has breached international law. Another is former Foreign Ministry State Secretary Helmut Schäfer, who demanded that Israel be treated like any other nation that has violated the Geneva Convention with regard to the protection of civilians. This is the case with the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.

Schäfer warned that as Germany continues to remain chained to the yoke of its past, it still takes on Israel's perspective as a way to achieve pace in the peace in the Middle East. He added that, should things continue as they are, the German public would no longer see a connection between a historic responsibility due to past events and attitudes toward the current Middle East conflict. Dozens of politicians share Schäfer's opinion, yet they belong mainly to the Social Democratic and opposition parties and not to Merkel's Christian Democrats.

Damaging to Germany's interests

Not only do the views of the majority of the German government's leaders toward Israel's actions in Lebanon differ from those of the German public, they are also damaging Germany's good reputation in the Arab world and putting the country's interests at risk. These interests seem more important than ever right now, since they not only possess economic but also geographic and historical dimensions.

Added to that is the continued worsening situation in Iraq following the US-British occupation of the country. At the same time, the US-British orientation of the German government has weakened the EU's power and is hindering its attempts to define a unified foreign policy toward the Middle East, particularly with regard to the Israeli-Arab conflict.

Syrian-born Ibrahim Mohamad is a senior editor for DW-WORLD.DE's Arabic Web site. He has more than two decades of experience as a journalist in Germany.