German Chancellor Olaf Scholz slammed the US proposal by President Donald Trump to transfer Palestinians from Gaza to Jordan and Egypt as “unacceptable”. He delivered a speech in a campaign rally held on Tuesday in Berlin while calling for maintaining Gaza in any future Palestinian state.
“Any resettlement plans, the idea that the citizens of Gaza will be expelled to Egypt or Jordan, is unacceptable,” Scholz said. He reiterated Germany’s commitment to a two-state solution, calling for Israelis and Palestinians to live together in peace. He added that the Palestinian Authority must take responsibility for Gaza for stability and self-governance of its people.
“The fragile hope for peace that is now possible must not be squandered,” Scholz said, referencing a recent ceasefire agreement. He stressed that lasting peace depends on enabling Gaza’s residents to envision a self-governing future.
Both Jordan and Egypt have widely rejected Trump’s resettlement proposal, in fact, both are among the host nations currently home to millions and tens of thousands, respectively, of Palestinians.
Gaza remains a flash point in the region for Palestinians, who look to it as a vital territory that would be integral to a future sovereign state. Scholz’s comments highlight the fact that Germany continues to uphold peace efforts and the two-state solution in the area.
On the other hand, Germany has become one of Israel’s major weapons suppliers, with the country’s defense exports to the state going up nearly tenfold in 2023 amid heightened conflict with Hamas militants.
