Scholz calls for cease-fire, de-escalation in Middle East

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday renewed his call on Israel to comply with international law while fighting resistance groups Hamas and Hezbollah.

"Israel has the right to defend itself, and it must comply with international law, this is a requirement that is self-evident, and has long been part of the foreign policy of Germany," he stressed.

Scholz made the remarks at a joint news conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, following a meeting in Istanbul, where the two leaders discussed bilateral relations and international issues.

The chancellor acknowledged that Berlin and Ankara have different views on Israel's military offensives, but underlined that they share similar concerns on civilian suffering and the need for a cease-fire.

"We agree that de-escalation, cease-fire, and political solutions are necessary to prevent a conflagration in the Middle East," Scholz said, reiterating that only a negotiated two-state solution could bring peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians.

"There needs to be a credible political process towards a two-state solution, the state of Israel and a viable state for the Palestinians. That is why we continue to strive for this, despite all the setbacks we've had so far," he said.

Contrary to Türkiye's severe criticism of the Netanyahu government over its genocidal war in Gaza, Germany remains a strong supporter of Israel.

Chancellor Scholz had repeatedly said his government bears special responsibility for Israel's security due to the country's Nazi past and crimes committed against Jews during World War II.

But critics say Germany's blanket support for Israel's government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is undermining its credibility abroad and increasingly isolating it on the global stage.

When asked about the growing number of attacks targeting Muslims in Europe in recent months and the rise of far-right parties and movements, Scholz said his government has taken a clear stance against these.

"Any form of inhuman exclusion cannot be accepted, neither antisemitism nor Islamophobia," he said, adding that religious freedoms are guaranteed by the German constitution. He vowed that his government would continue defending pluralistic democracy, where people of different religions and different views can live together.

Germany's Muslim communities reported a surge in anti-Muslim hate crimes in recent months, triggered by the propaganda of far-right politicians and biased media coverage of the Gaza conflict.

Muslim community leaders said they faced increased racism and hostility due to negative generalizations and narratives used by media outlets covering pro-Palestinian protests and Middle East tensions.

Since Israel launched its war against Hamas in Gaza last October, it has killed more than 42,500 Palestinians and injured more than 99,600 more, most of them women and children.

Israel is facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its war on the besieged enclave, where millions of Palestinians are displaced, facing famine and acute shortages of medical aid and other essentials.