“Germany is ready to help and support and we will do our best in the interests of our friends in Israel,” German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle declared Tuesday in a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.
The cessation of violence must be a priority, he said, emphasising that “this is a clear message, not only of the German government but this is also the message that the European foreign ministers yesterday sent out”, invoking the EU Foreign Affairs Council’s conclusions Monday.
He reiterated the German position that “Israel has every right to defend itself and protect their citizens against these missile attacks from Gaza into your country”.
He stressed the importance of mediation efforts by regional players as he started the first full day of his crisis mission to the region Tuesday.
Netanyahu paid tribute to Guido Westerwelle as an “old and constant friend” of Israel.
Expressing his gratitude for close ally Germany’s solidarity with the Jewish State, he said the western European nation could “have a constructive role in seeking an end to this conflict”.
Earlier, at a working meeting with Shimon Peres, the Israeli President echoed Netanyahu’s sentiments in appreciating Germany’s friendship to Israel, as he paid tribute to German Chancellor Angela Merkel as “one of the European Union’s most significant leaders”. “We greatly appreciate your efforts to bring an end to the attacks on civilians and to bring hope to the region,” he told Westerwelle.
Demonstrating Germany’s mediation efforts which reach beyond that of the region to the often fractured relationship Israel endures with the EU itself, Westerwelle described “that within the international community there is a mistaken impression that the rocket fire against Israel came as a response” to Israel’s assassination of Hamas military head Ahmed Jabari last Wednesday.
“Germany knows, and explains to others, that the rocket attacks have been occurring for years,” he insisted.
During the course of his meeting with Westerwelle, Netanyahu sought to reiterate Israel’s efforts to avoid incurring civilian casualties in Gaza, describing such casualties as “operational failures”.
For Hamas, he contended, claiming the lives of innocent Israelis constituted “an operational success”. “Hamas and the other terror organizations in Gaza have no compunction whatsoever at firing on our civilians while hiding behind civilians. We do the very opposite,” he said.
“So there’s a marked distinction and the people of Israel can’t long tolerate this kind of situation where our cities are under constant rocket attacks. I prefer a diplomatic solution. I hope that we can get one but if not, we have every right to defend ourselves with other means and we shall use them,” he added.
As Netanyahu and Peres paid tribute to Germany’s efforts to mediate, Westerwelle invoked the key role Egypt has to play, telling the Israeli President “that he hoped Egypt would use its central position to mediate a ceasefire and that he was optimistic that Egypt understood the weight of responsibility upon it”.
His comments came after he released a statement Sunday ahead of his visit to Israel calling on widely appointed mediators Egypt to “persuade the authorities in Gaza to end the rocket attacks”, he appeared to censure the Islamist regime for having yet to use its sway with its Hamas allies to good effect, as he express his hopes “that Egypt will recognise its responsibilities as Gaza’s neighbour”.
His words were subsequently echoed by apparently subtle rebuke of the Egyptian administration by Israeli President Shimon Peres who told Mid East Quartet envoy Tony Blair that it was “strange” that “Hamas doesn’t listen to the Egyptian President”.
Merkel has previously confirmed that Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi had reached out to her for Germany’s help on “carrying out the important role of mediator” to help prevent “an escalation of the violence”.
On his arrival in Israel Monday, Westerwelle was confirmed to have met with his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman, although neither minister immediately commenting on the nature of their discussions.
Following his meetings with Israeli leaders, he was due to travel on to Ramallah for talks with Palestinian Authority President and fierce rival of Hamas Mahmoud Abbas.