00:00Yossi Merkelberg is an associate fellow with the Middle East and North Africa program at
00:04Chatham House.
00:05Now, I began by asking him about the significance of Germany's decision not to sell arms for
00:10use in Gaza, given the close ties two countries have had since the end of World War II.
00:17Germany is one of the, is the second biggest weapon supply to use allowed in the United
00:22States.
00:23And admittedly, some of it has to do with the Navy and submarines.
00:28There is also other, other, other elements there, other items of weapon reaffirmation
00:35that can, can have an impact, especially if it sets a trend.
00:40But also again, symbolically, it is important.
00:44And I think a message, it's not as big of course, as if the United States, like you said, but
00:50if your second larger weapon supplier is sending such a message, it means something.
00:57Why is Benjamin Netanyahu pressing ahead with this campaign to take control of Gaza City when
01:05it's not only being widely condemned internationally, but even within government and by senior leaders
01:14in the IDF?
01:15Well, the most senior leader of the IDF is the chief of staff that is against it.
01:22A 600 former head of the IDF, Mossad Shabak, sent a letter to President Trump earlier this
01:31week, urging him to stop the war because it has no military end anymore.
01:37And the top priority is releasing the hostages.
01:41The only conclusion that I can reach is, is about Netanyahu political survival.
01:47Whether it's maintaining still his coalition because of the pressure of the right wing, or
01:53it might be completely detached from reality, thinking that actually he can enter into Gaza,
02:01release the hostages, and completely defeat Hamas, something that hasn't been done in 22 months
02:08of, of very intense, intensive campaign.
02:13Most possibly he bites his time.
02:16It's all linked to his political, political survival.
02:21Why does the United States continue to support Israel so strongly?
02:26And that's interesting. When President Trump visited Scotland recently, he actually had,
02:34apparently, a shouting match with Netanyahu on the phone when Netanyahu denied starvation.
02:41So on the one hand, even President Trump shows some sensitivity towards what happened there.
02:49But when it comes to actually doing something about that, he says that Israel should be allowed
02:54to do what it wants to do.
