Israel must be supported in its fight against terror, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said during a visit to the site of Iran’s missile attack in Bat Yam.
“There is no justification for attacks on a civilian population, as occurred here,” the minister said on Sunday.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar accompanied Dobrindt on the first diplomatic visit to Israel following the conclusion of Operation Rising Lion.
“Anyone who sees what the Iranians did to civilians here should fear what they could do with a nuclear bomb,” Dobrindt said, thanking Sa’ar for the invitation to visit Israel.
“We are 100% behind Israel’s actions in recent days, including the strike on nuclear sites. The nuclear threat is not only a danger to Israel but to all of Europe. Israel, Germany, and the United States will not accept a nuclear-armed Iran.”
During the war with Iran, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that by striking Iran, Israel was doing the “dirty work” for everyone, and that he had “the greatest respect” for the Israeli army and government for the courage to face Iran.
Sa'ar thanks German minister for visiting, supporting Israel
Sa’ar thanked his “friend” Dobrindt for coming on a solidarity visit to Israel and for his long-standing friendship and consistent support of Israel.
“Israel acted to remove an immediate existential threat, and did so successfully,” he said.
“Now, the international community must take concrete steps against Iran’s nuclear program, especially in light of the Iranian regime’s attacks on the IAEA and its announcement that it will stop cooperating with it.
“This is the time for the E3 countries – the UK, Germany, and France – to activate the snapback mechanism, a concrete measure that lies within their power,” Sa’ar said.
Developing cyberdefense partnership
During the visit, Dobrindt said Germany is aiming to establish a joint German-Israeli cyber research center and deepen collaboration between the countries’ intelligence and security agencies.
Germany is among Israel’s closest allies in Europe, and Berlin has increasingly looked to draw upon Israel’s defense expertise as it boosts its military capabilities and contributions to NATO in the face of perceived growing threats from Russia and China.