German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Saturday called on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to carry out reforms of the Palestinian Authority. This was reported by the AFP agency, according to which Merz spoke with Abbas a few hours before his flight to Israel, where he will also meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, writes TASR.
In a telephone interview from Berlin, Merz appealed to Abbas to push for “urgently needed reforms” in the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the West Bank, so that it can “play a constructive role in the post-war settlement,” German government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said. According to him, the phone call took place in a friendly atmosphere.
Support for the peace plan
The chancellor confirmed that Germany supports US President Donald Trump’s peace plan for the Gaza Strip and welcomed the “cooperative stance of the Palestinian Authority” on the ceasefire agreement that has been in place in the Gaza Strip since October 10 and has largely halted fighting between Israel and the militant group Hamas.
Germany is among Israel’s closest allies and also its most open supporters, AFP noted. On Saturday, Merz will visit Israel for the first time after seven months as chancellor.
Visiting Israel and Jordan
After a short stop in Jordan, where Merza will be received by King Abdullah II, the Chancellor will meet with Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog and Prime Minister Netanyahu in Jerusalem. There, he will also visit the memorial to the victims and heroes of the Holocaust, Yad Vashem.
In a phone call with Abbas, according to the government spokesman, Merz also reiterated Germany’s position that the ultimate way to achieve peace between Israelis and Palestinians is a two-state solution.
Willingness for a two-state solution
However, Netanyahu and other high-ranking Israeli officials have repeatedly rejected the prospect of an independent Palestinian state. However, according to AFP, Hamas, which took control of the Gaza Strip from the Palestinian Authority in 2007, also explicitly ruled out a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
