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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz attends a press conference with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan (not pictured) at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, November 17, 2023. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch/ File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights
BERLIN, Nov 18 (Reuters) – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz criticised Israel’s settlement policy in the occupied West Bank on Saturday and repeated calls for a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians.
“We don’t want any new settlements in the West Bank, no violence by settlers against the Palestinians in the West Bank,” Scholz said during a visit to Nuthetal in Brandenburg state.
The best outcome for Israelis and Palestinians remains the two-state solution, he said.
“If some in Israeli politics distance themselves from this, we will not support them,” Scholz said.
Scholz also emphasised the importance of German humanitarian aid for the Palestinians.
Germany is not only on Israel’s side, but together with the U.S., it is the largest donor of humanitarian aid for the Palestinians, the chancellor said.
“It is not the states in the neighbourhood, although some are very rich,” he said in reference to Arab countries. “We are the ones who make it possible for schools and hospitals to be run there,” he said regarding the Palestinian territories.
Reporting by Andreas Rinke; writing by Maria Martinez; editing by Kirsten Donovan and Jason Neely
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