Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar met Tuesday with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin, where the two discussed bilateral ties, regional security and the escalating crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, the Foreign Ministry said.
The ministry said Sa’ar thanked Merz for his friendship with Israel and said Iran’s fire toward the United Arab Emirates the previous night “once again proves the reckless nature” of the Iranian regime.
3 View gallery
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and German counterpart Johann Wadephul
(Photo: Shalev Mann)
“Anyone who sees how this regime behaves toward its neighbors in the region understands the necessity of preventing it from obtaining nuclear weapons,” Sa’ar told Merz, according to the ministry.
The ministry said the two agreed on the importance of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and ensuring freedom of navigation in the region without threats. Sa’ar also expressed appreciation for Merz’s moral clarity on the fight against antisemitism and his commitment to practical steps to combat it.
Sa’ar later appeared at a joint news conference with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, who said Israel is now contributing to Germany’s security through a new defense partnership.
“Israel, the country where Holocaust survivors found safe refuge, is today contributing to Germany’s security through a new security partnership,” Wadephul said. “Germany purchased the Arrow 3 air defense system from Israel. This is an example. Israeli technology helps protect Germany’s skies.”
Wadephul said the talks focused on Israel’s security and the broader region, including the war with Iran and the situation in Hormuz.
“You came here at a complex time for the Middle East, which also affects Europe,” Wadephul told Sa’ar. “The war with Iran and the situation in Hormuz are causing problems from gas stations to the transport of goods. Our citizens feel the impact of the conflict in the money left in their wallets.”
Wadephul said Germany was prepared to “take responsibility” and, once the war ends, participate in securing the Strait of Hormuz.
He strongly condemned the attack on the UAE and said the conflict must end in a way that ensures Iran is no longer a threat to Israel or other countries in the region.
“Iran must not be allowed to possess nuclear weapons and its ballistic missile program must be ended,” Wadephul said. “Iran must stop its regional policy. We call on Iran not to miss the opportunity. I said this to the Iranian foreign minister in our conversation the day before yesterday.”
Wadephul also addressed the fighting in Lebanon, saying Germany was concerned by the security situation and condemned Hezbollah attacks on Israel.
“They must stop,” he said. “We know their impact on the security of residents in northern Israel, but at the same time, Lebanon must not be held as a battlefield because civilians are paying the price.”
He said the Lebanese government must take decisive action against Hezbollah and that stabilizing Lebanon requires strengthening the Lebanese state so it can enforce a monopoly on the use of force.
“Direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon give us hope, and we urge both sides to continue in this direction,” Wadephul said.
On Gaza, Wadephul said the situation had not improved and that the conflict with Iran should not divert attention from the Palestinian enclave.
“Humanitarian aid must be improved,” he said. “Stabilizing Gaza is in Israel’s security interest. We agree that Hamas must be disarmed in line with Trump’s 20-point plan. Germany continues to support a two-state solution.”
Wadephul also expressed concern over continued Israeli settlement construction and settler violence in the West Bank.
“De facto annexation of parts of the West Bank is something we cannot accept,” he said. “Violence by some settlers against Palestinian civilians is something we reject, and we expect Israeli authorities to investigate and prosecute these crimes.”
He added: “Criticism is permissible among friends, but at the same time every Israeli can rely on us to consistently stand for Israel’s security.”
Sa’ar said the Iranian attack on the UAE was further proof of the regime’s recklessness. “We strongly condemn the unprovoked attacks by the regime against the UAE,” Sa’ar said. “Anyone who sees how this regime behaves toward its neighbors understands the necessity of preventing it from obtaining nuclear weapons. If this is how Iran behaves now, imagine how it would act with a nuclear umbrella.”
Sa’ar said Iran’s regional network of allied armed groups must be dismantled and warned that attacks on freedom of navigation threaten the global order. “If this maritime terrorism is not addressed, it will spread around the world,” he said.