On a mirage – Marina Kormbaki and Christoph Schult in Der Spiegel:

‘"Israeli security is part of Germany’s reason of state ." It is a key statement, made by Olaf Scholz’s predecessor Angela Merkel, for Germany’s understanding of itself. Scholz repeated it when he spoke to the German parliament, the Bundestag, on October 12, five days after the Hamas attack on Israel. He also said: "At this moment, there is only one place for Germany: at Israel’s side."
"At this moment." From today’s perspective, that promise seems to have a temporary element to it. It’s almost as if Scholz already suspected the dilemma into which lasting hostilities in Gaza would plunge Germany. Are cracks now forming in Germany’s reason of state?’

(…)

‘Some in the German government are growing skeptical, both out of concern for the civilian population in Gaza but also out of concern for Germany’s international reputation. Embassies around the world are reporting back to Berlin that Germany’s standing is suffering. Israel is in the process of isolating itself globally. Is Israel’s ally Germany facing the same fate? As the situation in Gaza continues to worsen, the priorities of Germany’s Middle East diplomacy are shifting. The recent Israeli attack on vehicles belonging to an aid organization, in which seven aid workers were killed, has increased doubts about the proportionality of Israel’s response. During previous visits, Baerbock focused on the fate of the Israeli hostages in Gaza, of which there are still around 130. This time, though, she concentrated on the suffering of the Palestinians.’

(…)

‘Government sources say that Germany is paying a high diplomatic price for its solidarity with Israel. That is especially true in the Arab world, but not only there. Berlin’s increased efforts to solidify ties with countries in Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia following the Russian invasion of Ukraine have suffered.
Nicaragua even filed a claim against Germany at the International Court of Justice in The Hague in March, accusing the country of being complicit in genocide in the Gaza Strip. The German government does not believe the complaint will be successful, yet there is a tone of wounded pride when German diplomats talk about the proceedings. Nicaragua of all countries, hardly a beacon of freedom, is trying to show Germany up. That hurts.’

(…)

‘Schulz believes that the criticism of Germany is the result of a generational shift. "The German government’s unwillingness to publicly criticize Israel must increasingly be explained, because memories of the German crimes committed during the Nazi period are fading – and with them, understanding for Germany’s responsibility for Israel," he says. This responsibility continues to exist. It is, and remains, a reason of state, Schulz insists. At the same time, though, Germany is rightly expected to stand by international law. "It’s not us as a foundation that is coming under pressure, but German diplomacy as a whole," he concludes.
Berlin is trying to carefully lower the pressure. Baerbock is one valve, the SPD is the other. "Doubts are growing within the SPD about the proportionality of the operation," SPD foreign policy specialist Nils Schmid told DER SPIEGEL in late February. His comments had been cleared with leaders of both the party and the SPD parliamentary group. SPD head Lars Klingbeil echoed the sentiment. In a speech about foreign policy, he said there were "significant doubts" that Israel was respecting human rights in exercising its right to self-defense.’

(…)

‘The Chancellery and the Foreign Ministry are willing to endure this tension for quite some time to come. The loss of reputation, say officials in Berlin, is the price Germany must pay for the fact that it is one of the few countries left that Jerusalem will listen to. Ties to Israel are too important, they say, both for working towards an improvement of the situation in Gaza and ultimately, for getting closer to the ultimate goal, the two-state solution.
It sounds like a plan. But perhaps it's just a mirage.’

Read the article here.

German’s reason of state i.e. the seemingly unconditional support for Israel won’t last forever – what does? – it might not even last that long.

For the younger generation the Shoah will be less of a binding principle, less of an important piece of identity than that it was for the people now in power.

Israel hastened this process. It managed to alienate in a short period of time some of its closest allies.
The consequences of this alienation are not yet clear.

If Israel wants to be part of the West, and I would say that Israel has no other choice, it must adhere to some of the pillars of the West, a belief in universal humanism, whether this belief is hypocritical or not is not the point here.

Alas, messianism and real existing humanism are not always a perfect mix.