German FM Voices 'Serious Concerns' over Israeli Annexation Plan

Germany and its European partners have "serious concerns" over Israel's plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in Jerusalem Wednesday.

The first high-level European visitor to Israel since the coronavirus pandemic hit, Maas brought a message of disquiet from Berlin and elsewhere in the EU.

Speaking in Jerusalem, he expressed "our honest and serious concerns... about the possible consequences of such a step".

Israel intends to annex West Bank settlements and the Jordan Valley, as proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, with initial steps slated to begin from July 1, the same day Germany takes the rotating EU presidency.

"Together with the European Union, we believe that annexation would not be compatible with international law," Maas told a joint press conference with his Israeli counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi, calling instead for the resumption of talks toward a two-state solution.

The bloc has yet to agree on how to react if Israel presses ahead with annexation or whether to impose sanctions on Israel.

"I don't think much of the politics of issuing threats at a stage when no decision has been taken yet" by Israel, Maas said.

Ashkenazi called Trump's initiative "an important milestone" and a "significant opportunity".

"The plan will be pursued responsibly, in full coordination with the United States" while maintaining Israel's existing and future "peace agreements ... and strategic interests," he said.

- 'International pressure' -

Following talks with Ashkenazi, Germany's top diplomat met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz, who forged a new unity government last month.

Israeli annexation forms part of the U.S. peace plan Trump unveiled in January, which paves the way for the eventual creation of a Palestinian state.

A statement from his office cited Netanyahu telling his German guest that "any realistic plan would have to recognize the reality of Israeli settlements, and not feed the illusion of uprooting people from their homes."

The proposals exclude core Palestinian demands such as a capital in east Jerusalem and have been rejected by the Palestinian Authority.

Palestinians have sent a counter-proposal envisaging a "sovereign Palestinian state, independent and demilitarized" to the Quartet, made up of the U.N., U.S., EU and Russia, Palestinian prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said Tuesday.

"We want Israel to feel international pressure," Shtayyeh said.

Following his meetings in Israel, Maas traveled on to Jordan, from where he will hold a video conference with Shtayyeh and meet his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi.

Last month Jordan's King Abdullah II told German magazine Der Spiegel that Israeli annexation risked sparking a "conflict" with his country.

- EU weighs response -

While Berlin shares Amman's opposition to annexation, the EU has not yet announced retaliatory measures. Sanctions would need the approval of all 27 member states.

Europe holds significant financial clout in Israel as the country's top business partner, with trade totaling 30 billion euros ($34 billion) last year, according to EU figures.

Some European countries could formally recognize a Palestinian state but, according to an Israeli official, Germany would not be one of them.

"Germany even with annexation would not recognize a Palestinian state and is not going to support sanctions against Israel," he told AFP.

The French foreign ministry on Wednesday reiterated its support for a two-state solution as "the only way to reach just and lasting peace, and regional stability."

Its spokeswoman called for direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, urging both sides to refrain from unilateral measures.

While in Jerusalem, Maas also discussed Israeli foe Iran and its Lebanese ally Hizbullah.

Berlin was one European party to a landmark 2015 accord with Iran to curb its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. 

But after Trump withdrew from the deal and reimposed crippling economic penalties, to Israeli praise, Tehran has suspended some of its commitments.

Maas condemned Iran's "incitement or glorification" of militancy in the region and its calls for the destruction of Israel.

"Israel's right to exist is not negotiable," he said.

Germany won Israeli praise in April for banning all Hizbullah activities after previously tolerating the group's political wing.

Israel occupied a swathe of southern Lebanon from 1978 to 2000 and went on to fight a war with Hizbullah in 2006.

Hizbullah strongly influences Lebanese politics.