“What’s surprising about Merz’s comments isn’t just their content, but their tone and finality—the kind of language previously reserved for anti-Israel circles on the far Left,” wrote German journalist Philipp Piatov in a sharply critical op-ed in The Wall Street Journal about German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The article was published in the prestigious American paper just ahead of Merz’s upcoming visit to the United States. The uproar followed his unprecedented criticism of Israel, in which he claimed that the suffering inflicted on civilians had become so severe that “it can no longer be justified as a fight against Hamas terrorism.”
Shock Among Germany’s Jewish Community
According to Piatov, the statement caused shock within Germany’s Jewish community: “What makes Mr. Merz’s words stand out is not only what he said, but the tone and finality with which he said it—a style of speech previously used only by anti-Israel activists on the extreme Left.”
“By casting doubt on the legitimacy of Israel’s entire military campaign,” the journalist continued, “the German Chancellor implicitly questioned whether dismantling Hamas was ever a justified objective. He offered no alternative for neutralizing a terrorist organization that carried out the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust—a massacre of Israelis and foreign nationals, including Germans.”
“Damaging Germany’s Credibility in Fighting the Far Right”
The article also addressed remarks by German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, who suggested a reassessment of arms exports to Israel: “This move not only undermines internal consensus in Germany, but also damages Germany’s credibility in its fight against far-right extremism,” Piatov concluded, referring to the implications of this policy shift for German-Israeli relations.
Mein Kommentar über Israel-Wende von Kanzler Merz und Außenminister Wadephul im @WSJ. Ihre Rhetorik untergräbt alles, wofür die CDU seit Jahrzehnten stand. pic.twitter.com/0Kxno9pSCp
— Filipp Piatov (@fpiatov) June 4, 2025
The German journalist concluded with bitter sarcasm: “If Germany’s Chancellor fails to understand the nature of Israel’s war against Hamas, he might consider asking the U.S. President why the Allies didn’t suspend their assault on Nazi Germany in early 1945 for humanitarian reasons.”
