Israel's actions in Gaza cannot be justified by Holocaust: German official

Germany’s commissioner for antisemitism has called for a more honest and critical discussion about Berlin’s stance on Israel, warning that recent actions in Gaza go beyond what can be defended in the name of historical responsibility.

Felix Klein told the Sunday edition of the national daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that while Germany’s commitment to Israel’s security is deeply rooted in its post-Holocaust identity, this position "does not justify everything."

“We must do everything in our power to preserve the security of Israel and Jews worldwide,” he said. “But we must also make it clear that this does not justify everything.”

Klein criticised Israeli policies that have deepened Gaza’s humanitarian catastrophe, arguing that “starving Palestinians and deliberately worsening the humanitarian situation has nothing to do with securing Israel's right to exist.”

While he reaffirmed Israel’s right to target Hamas he questioned the scale and consequences of Israel’s military campaign.

“The proportionality of this action may well be called into question,” Klein said, marking a rare public rebuke of Israeli policy from a senior German official.