Germany’s Israeli Dogma Lives On

The German government has changed its tone on Israel policy—but not much else.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz departs after speaking to the media following a meeting of the federal security cabinet over the situation in Gaza on July 28, 2025 in Berlin, Germany. August 20, 2025, 3:55 PM Comment icon View Comments ( )

For the past few years, it has been a condition for anyone who seeks to become a German citizen to explicitly recognize Israel’s right to exist. This is one of several questions related to Israel on the citizenship application form, and there aren’t any multiple-choice answers inviting nuance.

Such is the culture of memory that dominates Germany’s thinking about the past and dictates its policies of the present. This was always f

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