Germany cites the memory of the Holocaust as an argument to reject Spain’s proposed arms embargo on Israel

Eduardo González German Foreign Minister Johann David Wadephul rejected Spain's proposed arms embargo on Israel on Monday in Madrid, saying Germany "does not forget its responsibility" for the Holocaust during World War II and, therefore, considers the existence of the State of Israel "part of its reason for being." Wadephul was received by his Spanish counterpart, José Manuel Albares, on his first visit to Madrid and his sixth meeting with the Spanish Foreign Minister since taking office on May 6. The meeting took place one day after the Madrid + Ministerial Meeting for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, held in Madrid at the ministerial headquarters in the Santa Cruz Palace, and attended by the European (including Germany) and Arab countries that have led this initiative. "Spain's position is very clear," Albares declared at the joint press conference held at the ministerial headquarters in the Viana Palace. "The situation on the ground is catastrophic," and therefore, Spain demands an end to the Israeli offensive, which "has no military objective, except to turn Gaza into an immense cemetery," and the "immediate" opening of "all land entry points" to the enclave to guarantee the arrival of "immediate and massive" humanitarian aid. This entry of aid, he added, must be "neutral" and, therefore, under UN control, so that "it is not Israel that decides who is fed and when." Likewise, Albares continued, Spain supports the suspension of the Association Agreement between the EU and Israel, the "two-state solution" in the Middle East—just as Spain is approaching "one year since recognition of the Palestinian state" and the International Conference for the Two-State Solution in the Middle East, which will take place in New York from June 17 to 20, is just days away—and the imposition of "an arms embargo on Israel, because the last thing the Middle East needs right now is weapons." For his part, Wadephul agreed with Albares on the need to end the "humanitarian catastrophe" in Gaza and that a "ceasefire" must be imposed in the enclave. "To the extent possible, we will work to achieve a resolution to this conflict as soon as possible, the arrival of humanitarian aid, and a two-state solution with the Gaza Strip forming part of the Palestinian state," the German minister continued. The German minister also stated that his country is willing to "participate in the debate" on the Association Agreement between the EU and Israel when High Representative Kaja Kallas concludes her review of compliance by Benjamin Netanyahu's government and the conclusions are presented to the Member States. However, Wadephul warned that his country will not support the Spanish-sponsored arms embargo on Israel because "Germany, as a country, considers Israel's existence part of its reason for being and will always stand by it to defend that right" against its other "enemies in the region, such as Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iran," and "that implies supplying weapons." "No other country has as much responsibility for the past as Germany. We cannot forget what happened in the 20th century, those 12 terrible years when, on an industrial scale, they tried to murder all the Jews, and I must assume that responsibility and live up to it."

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