Chancellor-elect Merz invites Israeli PM Netanyahu despite ICC order Chancellor-elect Friedrich Merz has invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Germany. Merz does not appear to be planning to comply with the International Criminal Court's (ICC) arrest warrant for Netanyahu.
Germany has been an almost unconditional supporter of Israel’s war in Gaza since October 7, 2023, despite growing concerns among other Western countries and international organizations. At home, German police have cracked down extraordinarily hard on pro-Palestinian protests. Human rights organizations warn that Germany is guilty of suppressing freedom of expression.
In the run-up to the elections, Merz showed no intention of deviating from the pro-Israel course. For example, he promised to lift restrictions on arms exports to the country and even further strengthen ties between Israel and Germany. After the CDU's election victory, Netanyahu was quick to congratulate Merz and his party on Sunday evening. On X , he wrote that he looked forward to 'close cooperation' with Merz's upcoming government.
