‘Dirty Work’: How Friedrich Merz’ Pro-'Israel' Comments Sparked Widespread Controversy

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz recently publicly criticized “Israel” for its actions in the Gaza Strip, but he did not do so after the Israeli strikes on Iran, as Berlin does not believe “Israel” violated international law by striking Iran.

The latest German remarks come at a time of dangerous escalation and renewed uncertainty in the Middle East, sparking a diplomatic crisis with Tehran and widespread anger in German political circles, while “Israel” welcomed the remarks.

Iran recently launched a new wave of missile attacks on several Israeli targets, while “Israel” continues to bomb sites in Tehran and other Iranian cities, including oil facilities and military command centers.

Dirty Work

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s pro-“Israel” remarks sparked a wave of political rebuke, in which he described the Israeli attack on Iran as dirty work for the West.

During an interview with German public television channel ZDF on June 17, Merz said, “I can only express my deep respect for the courage of the Israeli army and the courageous leadership of the Israeli state to do what they did.”

He added that “the leadership in Tehran brought death and destruction to the world through attacks, killing, and violence, via Hezbollah and Hamas.”

He argued that “the attack carried out by Hamas on October 7, 2023, would never have occurred without the support of the regime in Tehran.”

Merz indicated that Iran's return to the negotiating table meant there would be no need for further military interventions.

He noted that “if that were not the case, the complete destruction of Iran's nuclear weapons program might be on the agenda.”

He expressed his belief that “the Israeli army could not complete this mission because it lacks the necessary weapons, but that the US possesses them.”

This statement is particularly significant because Merz made it during the G7 summit in Canada, which could reflect the general mood within the major Western powers.

The G7 leaders had previously stated that “Israel” has the right to defend itself and declared their support for its security, as stated in a joint statement.

In further statements to the Welt TV channel, Merz said that Iran has become extremely weak after the recent Israeli strikes.

He indicated that the chances of returning to the negotiating table remain, adding that Germany, France, and the UK are ready to provide diplomatic support if talks resume.

He continued, “If Iran is not ready to resume talks, Israel will follow its path until the end.”

He also emphasized that his country is prepared to respond if Iran attacks Israeli or Jewish targets in Germany.

It is worth noting that Merz recently announced that his country had responded to an Israeli request for firefighting materials, in light of the mutual military escalation between “Israel” and Iran.

Diplomatic Crisis

Diplomatic tensions between Tehran and Berlin escalated sharply this week. On June 18, the Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned the German ambassador to Tehran, Markus Potzel, to lodge a formal protest over what Tehran considered offensive remarks about German Chancellor Merz.

Alireza Yousefi, the director-general for Western Europe at the Iranian Foreign Ministry, described the remarks as ridiculous and shameful.

He added that “the German chancellor's brazen stance in supporting the dirty deeds of the Zionist regime tarnishes Germany's image in Iran.”

He considered these Israeli attacks on Iran a flagrant violation of the UN Charter and international law, expressing his country's categorical rejection of any political cover-up or foreign support for these crimes.

In a related context, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova commented on Merz's statements, saying, “This is not only the most abhorrent sentence I have ever heard, but I could not even imagine its existence.”

“This is what a descendant of Nazis says, whose grandfather, Josef Paul Sauvigny, was a member of the Nazi Party, and was listed in the reserves of the SA, while his father, Joachim Merz, fought in the ranks of the Wehrmacht against the Red Army,” she added.

The anti-Zionist Jewish Voice for Peace movement in Germany commented on its X platform, saying, “Merz is completely honest and expresses Western policy openly.”

In another post, the movement asked sarcastically, “Israel serves Western imperialism? Nonsense, just extremist conspiracy theories.”

On the other hand, Israeli President Isaac Herzog welcomed the support he received from the German Chancellor.

“I commend Merz for his moral candor and clear voice, because he speaks the truth. We are defending Europe. We are defending the United States,” he said.

Ron Prosor, Israel's ambassador to Germany, also welcomed Chancellor Merz's support for the Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear facilities and defended him against criticism related to his use of such a clear description.

Political Controversy

The reactions were not limited to the international community; Merz's statements sparked a storm of criticism within Germany itself.

Politicians from various German parties, including the Greens, the Left, and Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, have sharply criticized Merz, expressing their strong opposition to his rhetoric.

Sahra Wagenknecht, leader of the Alliance for Reason and Justice (BSW), accused Merz of moral double standards and hypocrisy, noting that his statements violate the tradition of moderate foreign policy.

“Merz is blatantly legitimizing an aggressive war that violates international law, which has already claimed the lives of hundreds of civilians in Iran and could ignite the entire region,” She wrote on X.

Soren Pellmann, who represents the Left bloc in the Bundestag, interpreted Merz's statements as an abandonment of the rule of law and international norms, warning: “Most of us have not yet realized where this could lead.”

“Chancellor Merz's abandonment of international law and his adoption of the destructive logic of the power of right is a scandal and causes significant damage to Germany's reputation at the UN and beyond,” he said.

In a statement to the Welt newspaper, Anton Hofreiter, co-chair of the Green Party's parliamentary group, described Merz's choice of phrase as unfortunate, especially given that civilians are being killed in Iran as a result of Israeli attacks.

In turn, Luise Amtsberg, deputy foreign policy spokesperson for the Green parliamentary group, said: “Instead of the chancellor's cynical and ignorant statements, I expect the German government to do everything it can to de-escalate this tense situation.”

The criticism has reached the heart of the ruling coalition. Ralf Stegner, a senior politician from the Social Democratic Party (SPD), Merz's coalition partner, told Der Spiegel: “When the chancellor says that Israel is doing our dirty work, that is more than just strange.”

He pointed out that such rhetoric suggests that an Israeli military attack on Iran would likely violate international law, and that no German official should express any public satisfaction with it, especially given the significant risk of escalation.

But within the Christian Democratic Union Party (CDU), senior party members defended Merz. 

“What the chancellor expressed with his words was that it cannot be in the interest of all of us for a terrorist regime like the Iranian regime to possess nuclear weapons,” CDU politician Thorsten Frei told the Suddeutsche Zeitung.

“The threat is not limited to the Middle East. “Iran’s missile technology is such that medium-range missiles can reach very long-range targets—even in Europe. That’s why we can’t pretend that none of this concerns us,” he added.

Double Standards

In light of increasing global condemnation, questions have arisen about whether Chancellor Merz’s new government, formed in May, will result in any substantive shift in Germany’s policy toward “Israel”.

It's worth noting that CDU leader Friedrich Merz has been known for his strong support for “Israel” over the past years, which has intensified following the recent Israeli attack on Iran.

Merz has repeatedly stated what he calls Israel's right to self-defense.

He also previously expressed the possibility of receiving Benjamin Netanyahu despite the arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC), amid warnings that Germany could find itself prosecuted for supporting war crimes.

It's worth noting that Germany supports “Israel” in its genocidal war on Gaza, as it is the second-largest arms supplier to “Israel” after the U.S.

However, last month, Merz's tone shifted somewhat, criticizing Israel's intensified assault on the Gaza Strip and warning that he might no longer support the Netanyahu government.

He also noted that Berlin should be cautious about offering public advice to “Israel”, something it does not do with any other country in the world, referring to Germany's history in World War II.

He emphasized that he wants Germany to remain Israel's most important partner in Europe, urging the Israeli government not to take any action that its close friends are no longer willing to accept.

Notably, these statements from German officials have not elicited any adverse response from the Israeli side.

On the contrary, Israel’s Ambassador to Germany Ron Prosor emphasized that, “When Merz makes these criticisms of Israel, we listen to him very carefully because he is a friend.” 

“Israel” is known for generally responding to international criticism with a hostile reaction, while its measured tone in response to Germany creates a sharp contrast. 

In a separate context, the European Center for the Study of Counterterrorism and Intelligence (ECCI) released a report a few days ago on Germany and “Israel” in light of the war on Gaza and violations of international law.

“It can be argued that there are double standards in dealing with international law, represented by the EU's strict response to Russia, compared to its lax approach to Israel in the context of international law. This could undermine Berlin's credibility domestically and internationally in the future,” the report said.