Background

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The unresolved conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is one of the key fields of conflict in the Middle East. At the root of the conflict are rival claims to the area between Jordan and the Mediterranean. The State of Israel, founded on 14 May 1948, covers 78 percent of this area today. The remaining areas, the Palestinian territories (the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip), have been occupied by Israel since 1967. In these areas, which are predominantly inhabited by Palestinians, but also by Israeli settlers, the Palestinians are seeking an independent state, which they are entitled to under the right to self-determination and various UN resolutions. However, the parties to the conflict have not engaged in direct negotiations since 2014. The escalation of the conflict triggered by the Hamas terror attack on Israel of 7 October 2023 has made the two-state solution appear even more complex. However, it has also brought the two-state solution back to the forefront of efforts to guarantee lasting security, peace and dignity for both sides. Six points, known as the permanent status issues, remain contested, even though there have been quite substantial rapprochements, for example after the Oslo Accords were concluded in the 1990s or at the Taba Summit in the early 2000s:

• The borders, that would be established between Israel and a future Palestinian state as part of a negotiated two-state solution
• The future status of Jerusalem, which both sides claim as their capital
• Where the refugees from past wars and displacements will ultimately remain
• The illegal Israeli settlement activities in the Palestinian territories
• Arrangements to guarantee security
• Arrangements concerning the management of water resources

The German and European positions

Germany’s history entails a special responsibility towards Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, and for Israel’s security. At the same time, Germany recognises the right of the Palestinians to self-determination and their endeavours to gain their own state. Germany and its partners firmly believe that the goal of an independent, democratic and viable Palestinian state existing side by side in peace and security with Israel can only be achieved through negotiations. Only a negotiated two-state solution that is acceptable to both sides can lead to lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Germany’s Middle East policy is thus anchored in European policy on the region.

Avoiding erosion of the peace process

It remains the German Government’s aim to preserve the foundations of the two-state solution and prevent further erosion of the peace process, in order to enable a new round of negotiations in due course. Germany is working in formal and informal formats with Arab and Western states, and by supporting civil society projects, to present both parties to the conflict with concrete proposals for confidence-building steps and to advance the resumption of political dialogue.

Israel’s normalisation agreements with the Arab world

With the Abraham Accords brokered by the United States and concluded in 2020, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and the Sudan became the first Arab countries to normalise relations with Israel since its peace agreements with Egypt in 1982 and Jordan in 1994. Germany welcomed this step as an important contribution to peace and stability in the region. These developments must now be translated into fresh momentum for the stalled Middle East peace process.

Germany’s bilateral engagement

Germany also works bilaterally to support a two-state solution. The German Government regularly holds political talks with representatives of the Israeli Government and the Palestinian Authority. The Middle East is one of the regions most frequently visited by the Foreign Minister.

As one of the largest bilateral donors, Germany contributes to building infrastructure, to improving education, to work programmes and to establishing a sustainable economy in the Palestinian territories.