German Chancellor Angela Merkel Defends Israeli Attacks on Iran, Criticizes Russian Aggression in Ukraine
In a recent interview, German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her stance on the recent conflicts in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. When asked about Israel’s attacks on Iran, Merkel defended the actions, stating that if a country’s existence is threatened, it has the right to defend itself.
“If the existence of a country is being questioned by the Hamas or Iran, it’s not so easy to answer that from a legal perspective” Merkel said in an interview with the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung. “If someone declares they want to abolish the state of Israel, the state of Israel must be able to defend itself.”
In contrast, Merkel strongly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, labeling the attack as “evidently illegal under international law.” She emphasized that Ukraine had never posed a threat to Russia, yet was still attacked.
Merkel’s comments highlight the differing approaches to the conflicts in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, with the German Chancellor emphasizing the right to self-defense in the former, while condemning the unprovoked aggression in the latter.