Merkel: Boycott of Israel 'not an option'

German Chancellor Angela Merkel sees eye-to-eye with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on two key issues: She supports the Israeli demand that the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish State and she opposes an economic boycott of Israel.

Merkel made her stance on these issues clear during a joint press conference with Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Tuesday, during her two-day visit to Israel.

"We do not support the demands for a boycott," Merkel said. "This is not an option for Germany."


Credit: Reuters

Netanyahu said a boycott on Israeli products, "is not the moral or productive way to move peace forward. It actually pushes peace back." He added that if there is to be a European boycott, Israel will seek out other markets for its technologies.

Merkel also addressed the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, saying, "We are concerned about the settlements... I hope that we can overcome these difficulties and that there will be no obstacles to the two-state solution."

On the Iranian nuclear issue, Merkel said that there are differing opinions on the nuclear talks, but while visiting President Shimon Peres's official residence to receive the Presidential Medal for supporting Israel and for her tough stance against racism and anti-Semitism, she expressed strong support for Israel's security.

"Israel's risk is real and not simply abstract. Iran declared that it would destroy Israel, and while its tone has changed recently, the actions to prove so are still missing," Merkel said. "Iran will not have nuclear weapons. There must not be a threat to Israel, to Europe and to the rest of the world. We have a diplomatic opportunity to act, but we must ensure that Iran stands by its commitments."

Merkel thanked Peres for the honor of the Presidential Medal, saying, "Receiving the highest award bestowed by another country is a great honor for the recipient, but in light of Germany's responsibility for the tremendous suffering of the Jewish people in the Holocaust, receiving this award today is something of a miracle."

Also announced during Merkel's visit was the official logo chosen to mark 50 years of diplomatic relations between Israel and Germany. The logo, a combination of the two countries' flags, was selected from 18 designs in a contest among German and Israeli students. It was chosen and presented in collaboration with the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem.

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