Germany as a mediator in the Middle East?

2023-10-23 08:39:29, Kosova & Bota CNA

Germany as a mediator in the Middle East?

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock with participants of the high-level meeting in Cairo

Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Egypt: Stations of intense crisis diplomacy. The German Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, held talks in four countries within three days. The goal was: To prevent the spread of the conflict in the Middle East. Another goal was to alleviate as much as possible the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

In her speech at the "peace summit" in Cairo, Baerbock described the suffering and distress people are facing on the ground and across all borders. "Everywhere in the region we see terrible human suffering and fear," concluded the Foreign Minister.

She also mentioned the reason why all this suffering was created. And this all has a name, said Baerbock: "It was Hamas that on October 7th brought terrible terror to Israel and perpetrated heinous crimes." In the short term, it is important to alleviate the suffering, where it is most big, said the Foreign Minister, and the situation is an emergency in the Gaza Strip. Therefore, Germany has increased the humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip to around 50 million euros. On Thursday (19.10.2023) in Amman she spoke with the director of the UN Relief and Works Agency for the Palestinians, UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini. The latter explained to her the "extremely dire situation" in the Gaza Strip. There are over a million people deported within the country. 3,700 people have died, Lazzarini said, referring to data from the Hamas-controlled Health Authorities. There is no drinking water in this region.

Germany as a mediator in the Middle East?

Limited opportunities for mediation

Can Germany mediate under these circumstances? Yes, but according to the situation, the possibilities are limited, says Peter Lintl, an expert on Israel at the Science and Policy Foundation in Berlin: German mediation is accepted regarding the hostages. "This is where Germany can step in to help."

But other support Germany cannot give for reasons that are understandable: "Germany does not talk to Hamas."

However, Germany can mediate in the organization of humanitarian aid. "This is also accepted by Israel, because help is also requested by the US."

So the German contribution to mitigating the crisis can consist of these two aspects, Lintl points out: "Hostages and humanitarian aid."

In principle, some Arab countries view Germany's foreign policy with reservations. Annalena Baerbock felt this herself in Amman: where, according to the media, her statement, that Israel is a victim of Hamas terror and has the right to defend itself, was taken with reservations.

According to Lintl there are generally reservations - "but at the same time a pragmatic readiness for cooperation, where this is possible."

Germany as a mediator in the Middle East?

The Arab world stands in solidarity with the Palestinians

The talks that Baerbock held in the capitals of four Middle Eastern countries took place against the backdrop of a series of demonstrations of solidarity with the people of the Gaza Strip. In Egypt (20.10.2023) tens of thousands of people demonstrated in the streets to express their solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Even in Amman, thousands of people expressed their support for the Palestinians. The demonstrations are an indicator of the distance that whole layers of the population have towards Israel.

Likewise, in a large part of Arab countries, people think that Western countries unconditionally support Israel. The formula, that Israel has the right to defend itself, is repeated without any criticism, written in the Palestinian newspaper "Al Ayyam". This newspaper also referred to Germany in its article. At the same time, violence is also breaking out in West Jordan.

Such feelings have an influence on the decisions of governments in Cairo, Amman and other Arab countries. "In many countries, politicians who cooperate closely with Western countries are now under extreme pressure," Simon Wolfgang Fuchs, professor in the field of Islamic and Middle Eastern studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, told DW.

"Israel does not want mediation efforts"

Another reason for the limited possibilities for mediation, according to Lintl, is that: "Israel itself does not want any attempt at mediation. Such an offer would be banned in the meantime." Israel's goal is to end the rule of Hamas. "A mediation would be counter to that purpose." A mediation is accepted, if it is about the release of hostages. "Apart from this, no other type of mediation is accepted."/ DW