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Time of India
36 minutes ago
- Time of India
German government denies rift over Israel's conduct in Gaza
This is an AI- generated image used for representational purposes only German Chancellery Minister Thorsten Frei on Wednesday dismissed concerns of a rift within Germany's coalition government over its position on Israel. An apparent split emerged after Germany opted not to join dozens of Western countries in signing a condemnation of the "inhumane killing" of Palestinian civilians in Gaza on Monday. What has Berlin said about the Gaza letter? Frei, Chancellor Friedrich Merz's top aide, said the coalition was united in its aims regarding Gaza, even if there were divisions over how Germany could achieve them. "There's not even a sheet of paper between the partners," Frei told German broadcaster ZDF. "Of course, you can have different views about the form and the path to a shared goal." On Tuesday, leading figures in the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), the junior coalition partner to Merz's Christian Democrats (CDU), urged the government to join a joint declaration signed by 28 states, including France, Italy and the UK, as well as the European Commission, the European Union's executive branch. It called for an immediate end to the war in Gaza and condemned Israel's actions. Germany has so far declined to sign on to the declaration. However, Frei defended the government's stance, saying the declaration lacked clarity in its sequencing of events. "It must be made clear that the starting point of this war was Hamas' attack on October 7, 2023, and that Hamas continues to hold hostages," he said. He added that Germany maintains "many channels of contact" with the Israeli government. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Swelling and internal bleeding in the brain, help this baby Donate For Health Donate Now Undo Frei emphasized that "the humanitarian situation in Gaza must change," and while Israel has the right to self-defense, protecting civilians is "a legal imperative under international law." What did the SPD say about the declaration? Matthias Miersch, the SPD's parliamentary leader, praised the signatory states, including Germany's "closest partners such as France, Canada and Austria," for sending "a clear signal." The countries involved condemned what they called the "drip feeding of aid" to Palestinians in Gaza and said it was "horrifying" that more than 800 civilians had been killed while seeking food and water. "If international law is systematically violated, there must be consequences," Miersch wrote on the platform X. "Germany should join the UK's initiative and not opt out here." "Starving children, destroyed infrastructure, attacks on people seeking help: That goes against everything that international humanitarian law protects," the senior SPD politician said. Reem Alabali Radovan, Germany's international development minister and an SPD member, said Tuesday she was disappointed by the decision. "The demands in the letter from the 29 partners to the Israeli government are understandable to me. I would have wished for Germany to join the signal sent by the 29 partners," she said. SPD foreign policy spokesperson Adis Ahmetovic and rapporteur for the Middle East Rolf Mützenich, both senior lawmakers within the party, also called on Germany to join the declaration. They stressed in a joint statement that "the situation in Gaza is catastrophic and represents a humanitarian abyss." How has Merz defined his position? German officials have said their stance on Israel is shaped by a unique responsibility, the Staatsraison (reason of state), rooted in the country's Nazi-era history and the Holocaust. They argued they can accomplish more through private diplomatic channels than with public declarations. Merz has said the European Council, the heads of state or government of the European Union, had already issued a joint declaration "practically identical in content to what is expressed in the letter" now circulating. He pointed to the Council's June statement, which deplored the humanitarian crisis in Gaza but was less emotional and bluntly critical of Israel and did not condemn its planned relocation of Palestinians to a so-called "humanitarian city" unveiled earlier this month. "I was one of the first to say very clearly, even in Germany, that the situation there is no longer acceptable," Merz said, pushing back on claims of any split. On Monday, he said he had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday, telling him "very clearly and very explicitly that we do not share the Israeli government's policy on Gaza." "The way the Israeli army is operating there is not acceptable," Merz said. Fractures within the ruling coalition, only in power since May, were already exposed over a dispute about the appointment of a Constitutional Court judge.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Merz, Macron present united front amid EU-US trade row
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Berlin on Wednesday, as both sides sought to boost relations amid challenging global political times. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now It was Macron's first visit to Germany since Merz's government took power in early May. Merz hosted the French president for a dinner at the lakeside Villa Borsig outside Berlin on Wednesday evening. The leaders said they wanted to deepen Franco-German cooperation "at all levels." "We stand on the foundation of a close Franco-German friendship that has developed over decades. And we both feel a great obligation to continue working on this in the coming years," Merz said at the start of Macron's working visit to Berlin. Macron highlighted the personal friendship between him and Merz, as well as between their two countries. The Franco-German relationship and the shared will to advance both bilateral and European agendas are essential, said the French president. The meeting comes as the EU confronts a raft of geopolitical and economic challenges, including a trade conflict with the US and Russia's continuing war against Ukraine, among others. Paris and Berlin have been increasing efforts to support Ukraine against Russia and build up the defense capabilities of NATO's European member states. Merz signals 'decisions' on EU-US trade row Both France and Germany are, meanwhile, facing threats of increased tariffs from Washington, with US President Donald Trump threatening to slap 30% tariffs against the EU if no trade deal is reached by August 1. Speaking alongside Macron, Merz said there "may be decisions" on the ongoing trade row. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "We will discuss some very current issues together, including the current trade policy, about which we are hearing in these minutes that there could possibly be decisions," the German chancellor said. Macron said he would coordinate with Merz and other European counterparts on how to respond to the incoming US tariffs. "Today, we are responding to the tariff offensive that has been launched with a determination that we share: to provide stability and have the lowest possible tariffs," he said ahead of his meeting with Merz. Row over a joint next-generation fighter project The two leaders were also expected to discuss several thorny issues, ranging from joint defense projects to energy. There has been disagreement over a combat aircraft to be made jointly by France, Germany and Spain. The planned fifth-generation fighter jet is expected to start replacing French Rafale and German and Spanish Eurofighters from 2040. But the project, worth more than €100 billion ($117.73 billion), has been dogged by delays and infighting over workshare and intellectual property rights. The head of French defense company Dassault, Eric Trappier, on Tuesday suggested that the viability of the project was in doubt. Merz and Macron agreed on Wednesday to try to resolve differences over the FCAS fighter jet project by the end of August, a German government spokesperson said. What are the other major disagreements? There are also other disagreements between the neighboring countries. Paris, for instance, is pushing for joint European debt to boost the bloc's defense industry — a proposal Berlin rejects. France also relies heavily on nuclear energy, while Germany has phased it out entirely. Paris wants Berlin to commit to "technology neutrality" and effectively classify nuclear energy as climate-friendly. While the previous German government rejected this push, Merz's administration may be more open to the idea. France and Germany also disagree on the trade agreement between the EU and the Latin American Mercosur countries.
India Today
4 hours ago
- India Today
Germany bets on AI robots, drones, and biotech to lead future wars
Germany is taking a leap toward modernising its defence system by heavily investing in advanced military technologies like artificial intelligence, autonomous robots, and even cyborg cockroaches. This could be a gamechanger amid security threats in Europe after Russia's invasion of has exposed Europe's military weaknesses and reliance on American security. For people like Gundbert Scherf, co-founder of defence tech startup Helsing, the war changed whose Munich-based company creates AI-based military tools and drones, struggled to get investors when he first started. But today, things have flipped. Speaking to Reuters, "Europe this year, for the first time in decades, is spending more on defence technology acquisition than the US." According to news agency Reuters, last month, Helsing's value more than doubled to $12 German government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz is now opening the doors of its military to collaborate directly with start-ups. The goal is to fast-track innovation and reduce dependence on traditional defence giants."We want to help give Europe its spine back," Scherf POWER GERMANY'S HIGH-TECH DEFENCE PUSHGermany is not just big firms like Rheinmetall and Hensoldt but also smaller companies working on futuristic ideas. These include ARX Robotics, which makes autonomous tank-like machines, and Swarm Biotactics, which is building insect-based spy tools."Our bio-robots -- based on living insects -- are equipped with neural stimulation, sensors, and secure communication modules," said Stefan Wilhelm, CEO of Swarm Biotactics. "They can be steered individually or operate autonomously in swarms."The German military's innovation hub is also seeing a sharp rise in interest. "Germany has developed a whole new openness towards the issue of security since the invasion," said Sven Weizenegger, who leads the Cyber Innovation Hub. He added that he now receives 20 to 30 LinkedIn messages a day with defence tech ideas, compared to just a few per week back in transformation isn't just about gadgets. Germany plans to nearly triple its annual defence budget to $175 billion by 2029 and meet NATO's 3.5% GDP defense spending goal. A new draft law will even make it easier for startups to get advance payments and win government Wietfeld, founder of ARX Robotics, described a turning point after meeting Defence Minister Boris Pistorius. "He told me: 'Money is no longer an excuse—it's there now'," Wietfeld AIMS TO LEAD EUROPE'S DEFENSE FUTUREIn fact, Europe's 19 largest defence spenders are set to outspend the US in military procurement this year: $180 billion versus America's $175 billion. Overall US military spending remains higher, but the gap in technology investment is narrowing has recognised that we have to defend our democracies," said Christian Saller, an investor in defence startups like ARX and Quantum capital funding in German defence tech has jumped from $373 million in 2022 to $1 billion in 2024. German companies have received $1.4 billion in the last five years—more than any other country in Europe."The startups just need the brains to do the engineering and prototyping," said Stefan Thumann, CEO of Donaustahl. "And the German Mittelstand will be their muscles."- EndsWith inputs from ReutersMust Watch
