German Foreign Affairs Politician Ralf Stegner Criticizes Chancellor’s Remarks on Israel and Iran
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s recent statement at the G7 summit in Canada has drawn sharp criticism from Social Democratic politician Ralf Stegner. In an interview with the German news magazine Spiegel, Stegner expressed his dismay at the Chancellor’s comment that Israel is doing the “dirty work” for Germany in Iran.
Stegner described the remark as “more than unsettling” and argued that it reveals a profound misunderstanding of the social democratic perspective. He further accused Merz of suggesting that the military attack by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on Iran was likely a violation of international law and that any public expression of relief from a German representative is entirely out of place.
Stegner emphasized the significant escalation risks involved, making it all the more inexcusable for a German representative to publicly express such sentiments.