BERLIN — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz formally condemned remarks by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Wednesday, with a government spokesperson describing the comments as "inhumane." The condemnation followed Ben-Gvir's call for targeted killings in Gaza during a podcast episode released Saturday.
"I think targeted killings should be carried out in Gaza, remove 30, 40 people every night," Ben-Gvir said. "Not just those who pose an immediate threat. No, there are people there who are not worthy of life. They shouldn't live. They're not even people." Ben-Gvir leads the far-right Jewish Power party and serves in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet.
The reaction in Berlin crossed party lines with unusual breadth. Jürgen Hardt, foreign policy spokesperson for Merz's Christian Democratic Union and its Bavarian sister party the Christian Social Union, called for EU sanctions against Ben-Gvir as a demonstration of the universal validity of human rights. "Ben-Gvir's inhumane remarks can only be condemned," Hardt said. He added that he was convinced an Israeli government without Ben-Gvir or far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich would bring Europe and Israel closer together.
The Social Democrats, Merz's coalition partners, echoed the call. Adis Ahmetović, the party's foreign policy spokesperson, noted that Ben-Gvir and Smotrich had shocked international opinion long before their latest statements and urged the German government to support EU sanctions against both ministers.
Opposition parties aligned on the same position. Dietmar Bartsch of the Left called the remarks "deeply inhumane" and pressed Berlin and Brussels to consider measures including an entry ban. Markus Frohnmaier, the foreign policy spokesperson for the far-right Alternative for Germany party, said calling for the killing of people who posed no immediate threat crossed "a clear line." Green Member of Parliament Marlene Schönberger described Ben-Gvir as a "far-right extremist" and said his comments had "nothing whatsoever" to do with Israel's right to defend itself.
Despite the cross-party pressure, Merz's government has not committed to backing EU sanctions. The Foreign Ministry declined to take a position earlier in the week. Officials within the government expressed concern that sanctioning Ben-Gvir weeks before Israel's Oct. 27 election could enhance his domestic standing rather than isolate him.
The political caution in Berlin is significant because EU sanctions require unanimous approval from all 27 member states, giving Germany an effective veto. Germany blocked proposed EU sanctions on Ben-Gvir in June and opposed restrictions on trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank as recently as last month. Wednesday's chancellor-level condemnation represents a shift in tone, but not yet a shift in formal policy.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is scheduled to meet his EU counterparts in Ireland on Sept. 1 and 2. Ben-Gvir's comments and the war in Gaza are expected to dominate those talks, putting Germany's position on sanctions under fresh pressure from other EU governments.
A government spokesperson also stated Wednesday that there must be no further Israeli annexations in the West Bank, extending Berlin's public objections beyond the Ben-Gvir controversy into broader Israeli policy in the occupied territory.
