Recent statements by German Foreign Minister Annalena Bärbock during her visit to Israel have sparked controversy in both countries. At the press conference, Bärbock raised the issue of the killing of six hostages by the Hamas terror group. Her comments suggested that Israel may be responsible for their deaths, despite ongoing efforts by the Israel Defense Forces to free the hostages.
Last weekend, Burbock said: “Last weekend demonstrated that military action alone is not enough to resolve the situation in Gaza.” He added: “As we have seen, only military pressure puts the lives of the hostages at risk.” This statement implies that the actions of the Israeli military put the hostages in danger.
Julia Klöckner, a member of the Christian Democratic Union in Berlin, reacted harshly: “This is absurd, a disgrace for Germany.” She pointed out that Bärbock, from the Green Party, remained silent after the discovery of the hostages’ bodies, unlike Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who immediately issued a statement.
Klöckner continued: “He is speechless in the face of the new murder of Israeli hostages, while Berbock always has words of sympathy for the people of Gaza. He now accuses the Israeli army of killing the hostages and calls for a complete end to Israeli military actions. This is a reversal of roles between aggressor and victim.”
Bild asked the German Foreign Ministry why Bärbock did not immediately respond to the killing of the six hostages and whether he held Israel responsible for endangering the lives of the hostages. The ministry said the safe return of the hostages was its “top priority” and confirmed that Burbock did respond to the killing of the hostages.
The ministry’s response did not specify whether the minister believed Israel was responsible for endangering the hostages. However, the response did address concerns raised by the hostages’ families with whom the MIL chief met. They reportedly expressed to Burbock their concern about further attempts by the army to rescue the hostages. Notably, Hamas, which is holding 101 hostages, is not mentioned in the ministry’s statement.
Cursor previously wrote that a former Hamas hostage recounted how terrorists use prisoners for propaganda.
