Merz between solidarity and proportionality. The situation in the morning

Good morning, dear readers!

Chancellor Friedrich Merz caused a sensation on Friday with his partial stop for arms exports to Israel – also internationally. In doing so, he reacted to the decision of the Israeli security cabinet to approved a plan of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the Gaza Strip. But the step triggered resentment, not only between Berlin and Jerusalem, but also within the black-red coalition.

In a first reaction, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Germany of rewarding the Islamist Hamas. At the weekend he sounded more conciliatory: Merz was “a good friend of Israel,” said Netanyahu at a press conference in Jerusalem. “But I think he gave the printing of false television reports, the internal pressure of different groups,” he added.

The CDU politician contradicted this. “I am not impressed by public pressure as much as from my own picture, also of the advice in the cabinet, also of the consultations with our experts,” said the Chancellor in an interview with the ARD “daily topics”.

At the same time, Merz emphasized: “We are undoubtedly at the side of this country. The principles of German Israel policy are unchanged. Nothing has changed and nothing will change.”

The fact that the Chancellor has to clarify this is due to the criticism from the Bavarian sister party CSU. She complained not to have been included in the decision and demanded discussions.

“That would be a departure of decades of foreign policy continuity towards Israel and, as such, at least in need of explanation. We will have internal discussions in the coalition,” said the CSU state group leader in the Bundestag, Alexander Hoffmann. Already on Sunday, the Union Group’s foreign policy working group met in a special meeting.

Merz also defended himself on Sunday on this point. He “did not hit this alone, but at the end of the day it is a decision that I have to answer alone and I also help it”. However, he could not “put them for democratic voting,” he said with a view to the resentment in the Union.

CSU politicians like Stephan Pilsinger also warned of disadvantages for German security authorities. “Whe happens when the Israeli government turns the spit and we no longer get support from Israel-be it in the air defense or Mossad information on terrorist defense? “, He asked in the” Augsburger Allgemeine Zeitung “.” At the moment, we benefit more from us from Israel. “

However, Merz also received support. The CDU foreign politician Norbert Röttgen, for example, said the federal government assumed that “an expansion of the war would result in a further deterioration in the humanitarian situation”. “The Federal Government must – legally and politically – do not provide any support for the war deliveries for the war in Gaza.”

Saxony’s Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer also stood by Merz. The Chancellor has always made it clear that Germany was firmly on the side of Israel, said the CDU politician. At the same time, he pointed out proportionality. “Solidarity and proportionality are not mutually exclusive – both belong together.”

Support also came from the coalition partner SPD. Party leader Bärbel Bas defended Merz in the ARD “summer interview”: “Friedrich Merz was to be revealed that he would reveal Israel, that is already strong tobacco,” said the Federal Minister of Labor. Germany must continue to support Israel, but should not forget the people in the Gaza Strip. This was also a “responsibility” that the Federal Government bears, added BAS.

US President Trump wants to talk to Kremlin chief Putin on Friday in Alaska about an end to the war in Ukraine. Alaska of all people! It was once a Russian area that the United States bought. Hopefully Putin does not ask the US state. But before the presidents meet, the EU foreign ministers plan the next steps on Monday. The focus is on the question of possible regional abrasion. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte already made it clear that future negotiations on the areas controlled by Russia could hardly be avoided. Trump brought a possible exchange of territory between Ukraine and Russia.

The EU foreign commissioner Kaja Kallas emphasized that every agreement between the United States and Russia has to include Ukraine and the EU: “It is about the security of Ukraine and all of Europe.” Russia’s aggression should not be rewarded – the areas temporarily occupied by Russian were part of Ukraine. Will Trump listen to the EU that he is less valued and integrate it? Questionable.

The “Wurstkuchl” restaurant in Regensburg has so far praised the world as “oldest bratwurfstube in the world”. But the story could be rewritten: Erfurt researchers claim to have discovered the oldest evidence to date for a bratwurish stand. A document from 1269 mention a hut and a roaster on the famous Krämerbrücke, said two researchers. The certificate randomly appeared when researching the history of the bridge. In Regensburg, the first documentary mention of a cook by the “Wurstkuchl” dates to 1378 – over a hundred years later than in Erfurt. This could hike the historical title to Thuringia, where the bratwurst also enjoys cult status. Read more about this here:

When wolves tear sheep in Germany or take residential areas, this makes headlines – and often also fear. Some quickly call for some to shoot the animals to defuse the situation. In the United States, however, another solution has been found to keep wolves away: since the wolf was resettled in the Yellowstone National Park in 1995, Farmer in Wyoming has been fighting. Since the wolf is under protection, they had to be creative. Your idea: drones with speakers, the music of the rock band AC/DC and the voice of Scarlett Johansson play, as the portal reports.

Why Johansson? According to the U.S. Ministry of Agriculture, there are disturbing noise on wolves, as reported. That is why the farmers use the fight between Johansson and Adam Driver from the film “Marriage Story” as an acoustic wolf fright. With success: Since the use of the drones, the number of wolf attacks has dropped in Oregon, writes “Euronews”. In Southo -Egon, for example, the number of cows killed by wolves decreased from eleven within 20 days to two in the following 85 days – and without rifle balls. Do you, dear readers, have another film scene in your head that could drive out wolves?

Our author learns the art of self -defense – in order to assert herself against men. Because they can be dangerous, especially on the night home:

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I wish you a good start to the new week! Warm, you