German Union’s Chancellor Candidate Friedrich Merz’s Promise Sparks Criticism from SPD and Greens
German Union’s Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz’s promise that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not be arrested during a visit to Germany despite an international arrest warrant has sparked criticism from the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the Greens.
“From a future Federal Chancellor, I expect that he weighs the consequences of his decisions carefully” said Michael Roth, the outgoing chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Bundestag, to the Spiegel. “With the invitation and the assurance that Netanyahu will not be arrested on German soil, Merz risks a severe conflict with the International Criminal Court and the German justice system, which would be obligated to enforce the international arrest warrant.”
Luise Amtsberg, the Human Rights Commissioner of the Federal Government and a member of the Greens, told the Spiegel that the observance of international law should not be turned into a political opinion issue. “Exactly that is what happens when public speculation is made about how international law can be circumvented” Amtsberg warned. It is still necessary, she added, for Germany to advocate for Israel’s self-responsibility in the investigation of allegations and to appeal to Israel to cooperate with the International Criminal Court.