Underlining Germany’s historical responsibility for Israeli security, Scholz offers military aid

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz delivers a government statement on the situation in Israel during a meeting of the German federal parliament, Bundestag, at the Reichstag building in Berlin, Germany, Oct. 12, 2023. (Michael Kappeler/dpa via AP)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz delivers a government statement on the situation in Israel during a meeting of the German federal parliament, Bundestag, at the Reichstag building in Berlin, Germany, Oct. 12, 2023. (Michael Kappeler/dpa via AP)

Germany is offering military help to Israel and promising to crack down on support for Hamas at home following the terror group’s attack on Israel as Chancellor Olaf Scholz underlines Germany’s historical responsibility for Israel’s security.

The German Defense Ministry says it agreed to an Israeli request to use up to two of five Heron TP combat drones that are currently leased by the German military and were already in Israel for the training of German servicepeople.

And Defense Minister Boris Pistorius says in Brussels that Israel has requested ammunition for warships, a request that will now be discussed.

Scholz tells the German parliament that he has asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to inform Germany of any needs, “for example the treatment of wounded.”

“At this moment, there is only one place for Germany — the place at Israel’s side,” he tells lawmakers. “Our own history, our responsibility arising from the Holocaust, makes it a perpetual task for us to stand up for the security of the State of Israel.”

Scholz note that thousands of people have demonstrated in support of Israel in recent days, but said that “there were also other, shameful pictures from Germany last weekend.”

On Saturday, a small group handed out pastries in a Berlin street and dozens of people later demonstrated in celebration of the devastating Hamas attack.

Scholz says Germany will issue a formal ban on activity by or in support of Hamas, which is already listed by the European Union as a terror group. He says groups such as Samidoun, which was behind the weekend pastry action, will be banned.

Scholz says there will be “zero tolerance for antisemitism.”

The chancellor also questions the lack of a clear condemnation of the Hamas attack by the Palestinian Authority and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, saying that “their silence is shameful.”

Germany has suspended development aid for the Palestinian areas, though it is keeping up humanitarian help.

Scholz also assails Iran’s role in the region. “We have no tangible evidence that Iran gave concrete and operative support to this cowardly attack by Hamas,” he said. “But is clear to us all that, without Iranian support in recent years, Hamas would not have been capable of these unprecedented attacks on Israeli territory.”

Several German citizens were among those kidnapped in the Saturday attack.

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