In the escalating conflict following Israel’s attack on Iran, Germany stands out as the European nation providing the most substantial and unconditional support to Tel Aviv.

While the federal government approves of Israel’s actions against Iran and does not criticize the killing of civilian scientists, it objects to Iran’s retaliatory measures.

Friedrich Merz, leader of the Christian Democratic Union, commented on the attack against Iran on Friday, stating, “We affirm Israel’s right to defend its existence and the security of its citizens.”

Merz also announced that his government is preparing for “possible attacks by Iran against Israeli and Jewish targets.” In a statement before heading to the G7 summit in Canada on Sunday, he said, “Tehran must immediately stop the bombardment of civilian targets in Israel.”

Israel’s Embassy in Berlin has been closed indefinitely since Friday. The federal government has also increased security for Jewish institutions.

Merz stated on Friday that security officials were taking the necessary precautions.

He also reiterated Germany’s position that Iran should not develop or possess nuclear weapons. “This would pose a threat to Israel, the Middle East, and the entire international community,” Merz claimed.

Arguing that Iran’s nuclear program constitutes an “existential threat to the state of Israel,” Merz defended the country’s “right to defend its existence and the security of its citizens,” calling it “Israel’s legitimate right.”

Merz had also previously guaranteed that his government would not touch Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Before formally becoming chancellor, Friedrich Merz had said, “I promised that we would find the ways and means for Netanyahu to visit Germany and leave again without being arrested if he plans to do so.”

Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul echoed these sentiments on Friday, stating that Berlin would “stand in solidarity with Israel.”

Wadephul also announced that Germany, France, and the United Kingdom are prepared to hold urgent talks with Iran regarding its nuclear program to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East.

The German minister, who is currently holding talks in the Middle East and will visit Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Oman, and Israel, stated he is trying to contribute to reducing tensions between Israel and Iran. He alleged that Tehran had previously missed opportunities for constructive dialogue.

In an interview with the German public broadcaster ARD late on Saturday (June 14), Wadephul said, “I hope this is still possible. Germany, France, and the UK are ready. We are offering Iran urgent negotiations on the nuclear program, and I hope the offer is accepted. This is also a crucial precondition for de-escalating this conflict so that Iran poses no danger to the region, the state of Israel, or Europe.”

Speaking from Oman on Sunday, Wadephul argued that the conflict could only end if all parties applied pressure on both Iran and Israel.

“There is a shared expectation that both sides must make a serious attempt to stop the cycle of violence in the coming week,” the minister said.

When asked if he believed the Iranian government could fall, Wadephul stated that he did not think Israel intended to overthrow the regime in Tehran.

Touching on Gaza, Wadephul called the humanitarian situation in Palestine “unacceptable” and urged Israel to grant unrestricted access to aid organizations.

“The hunger, death, and suffering of the people in Gaza must end,” said Wadephul, while asserting that Hamas was responsible for the conflict, adding that the group must release the hostages abducted during its attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

In his first week in office, following visits to France, Poland, and Ukraine, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul traveled to Israel.

The German state’s approval of Israel’s attacks on Iran and the killing of Iranian civilians appears to be linked to the “Staatsräson” (reason of state) doctrine formulated during the Angela Merkel era. This is based on the idea that ensuring Israel’s existence and security also ensures Germany’s own existence and security.

The previous “Green” Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, had also given her full support to Israel’s indiscriminate occupation in Gaza.

In her speech to the Federal Parliament on October 10, 2024, Baerbock stated, “Self-defense does not just mean fending off terrorists; it means destroying them. When Hamas terrorists hide behind people, behind schools… civilian places lose their protected status because they are abused by terrorists.”

Baerbock added that she had clearly communicated to the UN that “civilian areas can lose their protected status because they are abused by terrorists.”

In 2024, Israel purchased goods worth $91.5 billion worldwide. Israel’s largest exporters were China with $19 billion, the United States with $9.4 billion, and Germany with $5.6 billion.

Germany primarily exports vehicles, pharmaceuticals, machinery, and electronic products to Israel. For instance, in March 2025, Germany’s top exports to Israel were pharmaceuticals (€43.5 million), motor vehicles and caravans (€43.5 million), and railway or tramway locomotives and wagons (€30.4 million).

Germany announced earlier this month that it had approved arms sales to Israel worth nearly half a billion euros since October 2023.

In response to a parliamentary inquiry from the Left Party, the German government stated that from October 7, 2023, to May 13, 2025, export licenses for arms shipments totaling €485.1 million ($554.3 million) were granted to Israel.

The approved exports include a wide range of military equipment, including weapon systems, ammunition, radar and communication devices, and parts for armored vehicles.

Despite a post-Brexit reset, France is attempting to exclude British arms companies from the EU’s defense industry program.

A diplomatic source told The Telegraph that Paris is trying to limit member states wishing to purchase weapons under this program to those manufactured predominantly within the bloc.

The European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP) is being touted by the European Commission as the most significant overhaul of the continent’s industrial base. Under the program, EU funds will be channeled into joint procurement projects and the production of weapons, ammunition, and other military equipment.

The EDIP, which has been in preparation for six months, is part of a broader race to spend €800 billion on defense by the end of the decade.

French diplomats have insisted that this vehicle should only be used to support companies based in the EU, Norway, and Ukraine. This would mean that member states seeking to make purchases under the program would be limited to technologies where at least 85% of their components are produced within the bloc.

This demand means the United Kingdom, which recently signed a major defense and security agreement with Brussels, would be excluded from most projects financed by the EU budget. London would also be barred from joint procurement projects under the EDIP program.

An EU diplomat told The Telegraph, “Just a month ago, we solemnly declared that a new page had been turned in our relations with the United Kingdom and that a new era had begun. But at the first opportunity to put those words into action, we closed the book.”

There are also concerns that France’s hardline stance could lead to potential EU funding cuts for factories producing Patriot surface-to-air missile defense systems because they are based on US technology.

This decision comes at a time when NATO’s European allies and Canada have been warned that they need to increase their air defense systems by 400% to counter a potential Russian attack.

“It seems self-defeating not to invest in the only available air defense system just because it’s American-made,” the diplomat added.

French President Emmanuel Macron has been insistent that EU defense plans should be used to strengthen the continent’s own industry rather than allowing funds to be invested in foreign companies. Many EU countries, such as the Netherlands, Romania, and Greece, base their defense strategies on purchasing American systems like the Patriot air defense batteries.

To address these concerns, discussions are underway to allow technology transfers from defense companies outside the EU to those within the bloc. However, insiders suggest this mechanism will get bogged down in bureaucracy, making it practically impossible to secure funding.

In response to Berlin’s repatriation of migrants who have crossed the border “illegally,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that it is “very probable” Poland will implement “partial controls” at its border with Germany.

Speaking in parliament yesterday before a vote of confidence in his government, Tusk also stated that the Polish government is seeking support from other European Union countries to restrict or end visa-free travel for Georgian citizens, whom it holds responsible for a wave of crime.

Under normal circumstances, no controls are conducted at the border between Poland and Germany, as both countries are part of Europe’s Schengen free-travel area. However, in 2023, Germany reintroduced controls on its side of the border to prevent the illegal entry of migrants.

This move drew criticism from Poland due to the additional burden placed on people crossing the border and Germany’s repatriation of thousands of migrants without the right of entry.

Poland’s main opposition party, the national-conservative Law and Justice (PiS), staged protests against Germany’s repatriation of migrants. The party accuses the Tusk government of being too lenient on this issue, although such repatriations also occurred when PiS was in power.

Speaking in parliament on Wednesday, Tusk stated that they had informed Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s new government that “on the Polish side, we will control very critically and very thoroughly any attempts to send any migrants to Poland.”

According to Polsat News, Tusk said, “I have informed not only the Germans but also other neighboring countries that if the situation and pressure at the border escalate, I will not hesitate to make the decision to introduce temporary controls.”

“It is very likely that such partial controls will be introduced at the German border this summer,” Tusk said, without providing details on what these would entail or exactly when they would be implemented.

Tusk acknowledged that such measures would create difficulties for Poles living near the border, especially those who reside on one side and work on the other, and he stated that the government would do its best to minimize their hardship.

In March of this year, Tusk announced that Poland would cease to comply with the EU’s Dublin Regulation, which permits the return of asylum seekers to the member state where they first applied for protection. However, his government has yet to take action in this regard.

In his speech to parliament on Wednesday, Tusk also announced that he is working to “form the necessary majority” among EU member states to limit or even completely suspend visa-free travel for Georgian citizens to the EU.

According to Radio Zet, the prime minister said, “One-third of Georgians want to share our values… But I am in favor of restricting visa-free travel with countries that do not meet the standards.”

Earlier this year, the Tusk government took strong measures against what it claimed was an increase in “imported crime,” particularly crimes committed by migrants from Georgia.