Chancellor Olaf Solz announced tough measures against anti-Semitism and emphasized that the immediate priority is the release of the hostages held by Hamas, while reiterating Germany’s support for Israel and its right to self-defense. Speaking in the Bundestag, the chancellor also referred to a “winter package” that Berlin is preparing for Ukraine, but also to immigration, underlining the need for solutions with “humanity and order”.

“After the Hamas attack, it was important for me to emphasize that Germany’s position is firmly on Israel’s side”, said Olaf Solz referring to his recent visit to the Middle East, from the floor of the Federal Parliament, in the standard “government statement” ahead of next week’s European Council. The chancellor also highlighted the need to avoid an escalation of the conflict in the region: “An escalation would be catastrophic and it is important to avoid it at all costs,” he said, again warning Hamas’ allies not to engage in an attack against Israel. “There must be no involvement of Iran or Hezbollah,” he said, describing as “the most important task” the unconditional release of the hostages. Many of them, he noted, were activists in peace campaigns. “It was very important for me to talk to their families. The conversations with them touched me deeply. You could feel their fear and worry,” he stated, visibly charged. Mr Soltz also referred to the plight of the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip, who are also “victims and hostages of Hamas, which seized control of the area in a coup”. Hamas’s terrorism is inhumane, the chancellor continued (…) “It is very important to ensure access for humanitarian aid,” he pointed out, which he said had been a focal point of his talks in the region.

In his speech, Mr. Solz also referred to the ongoing war in Ukraine and spoke of a “winter package” of equipment for the Ukrainian armed forces that Berlin is preparing for the coming months. These are additional air defense systems in order, as he stated, to be able to defend the country against attacks against its infrastructure. The chancellor even sharply criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin, who “complains about civilian casualties” in the Gaza Strip, while he himself “wages a brutal war” against Ukraine. “I can’t imagine anything more cynical than that,” he said.

Regarding immigration, Olaf Solz called irregular migration one of the biggest challenges for Europe. “The world expects humanity and order from us. Now it will be seen whether we will keep control or lose it,” he said and praised Home Secretary Nancy Feser for her contribution to the European effort to reform asylum laws. The chancellor also spoke of the need to better protect the EU’s external borders and pledged to support the countries that bear the biggest burden. Referring to the “safe countries of origin” of migrants, he reiterated the need to list Moldova and Georgia as candidates for EU membership and called for faster procedures for examining asylum applications. For Germany itself, Mr. Scholz said that the protection of the national borders is being strengthened, where there will be a greater police presence and that legal routes are being planned for the migration of the necessary labor force. He even advocated the introduction of an electronic card for benefits in kind rather than in money to those who have submitted an application for asylum, in line with the suggestion of several states which believe that the extra financial benefits attract more and more immigrants to Germany.