Israeli Cabinet minister slams Merz's criticism of settlements

Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has sharply criticized German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over comments about Israel's settlement policy in the West Bank, drawing fire from Israel's ambassador to Germany.

"Mr Chancellor, The days when Germans dictated to Jews where they were permitted or forbidden to live are over and shall not return," Smotrich wrote on Monday evening on the X platform, alluding to the rule of the German National Socialists during the Second World War. Around 6 million children, women and men were murdered by the Nazi regime.

"You will not force us into ghettos again, certainly not in our own land," Smotrich added.

Smotrich linked to an English-language X post by the chancellor regarding a telephone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Merz wrote: "I am deeply concerned about developments in the Palestinian territories. In my phone call with Prime Minister @netanyahu, I made it clear: There must be no de facto annexation of the West Bank."

According to media reports, Israel's right-wing religious leadership had recently approved the creation of 34 settlements in the occupied West Bank, in the shadow of the war with Iran.

The approvals concern the construction of new settlements as well as the legalization of previously illegal settlement outposts, a number of media outlets including the Times of Israel reported.

The Israeli ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, told the Israeli broadcaster Kan that he condemned the remarks made by the Israeli finance minister.

"It is possible and entirely legitimate to argue with the Germans – especially on this day, which is very emotional," Prosor said on Holocaust Remembrance Day on Tuesday.