German Chancellor Friedrich Merz shut down a pro-Palestine protester who held a banner reading "Yes to international law / Never again matter of national raison d'etat / Viva Palestine," during a political rally on March 6, ahead of Germany's state elections.
"The federal government I lead will never leave any doubt about where we stand," Merz announced to the crowd. "We stand with Israel."
He went on to declare his unwavering commitment to combat antisemitism in Germany, promising to do everything in his power to ensure Jews could move "freely and openly."
"And if those for whom you are holding up this banner lay down their weapons," he added, "Then the conflict will be over within 24 hours, ladies and gentlemen. That is the root cause and not the state of Israel, which is fighting for its existence and for the right to live in freedom.”
CDU calls for end to UNRWA subsidies
Merz's party, the CDU, had unanimously approved a motion in February calling for stricter criteria for aid payments to Palestinians and an end to German and European subsidies to UNRWA.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar called the adoption of the motion “an act of moral clarity.” He praised the end of funding of UNRWA in favor of alternative ways to provide assistance to Gaza, “that have not been infiltrated by Hamas terrorists.”
“I commend this act of CDU and call on the German government to implement these steps,” he concluded.
Mathilda Heller contributed to this report.