Outrage erupts as German minister poses with Greater Israel map

Germany’s Education Minister Karin Prien has sparked anger after footage emerged of her posing in front of a map that depicted Palestinian and Syrian territories as part of Israel, according to The National on October 30th.

In a letter addressed to Prien, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, the German-Palestinian Society described the publishing of the video as a “scandal.”

The society’s president, Nazih Musharbash, said the footage “gives the impression that the German government is quietly recognising Israel’s policy of occupation and annexation.”

The footage reportedly showed her visiting a museum in Israel, where a map behind her showed Israel’s borders to be beyond those established after the 1967 Six-Day War, when Israel captured the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Syrian Golan Heights.

Israel annexed the Golan Heights in 1981, a move recognised by the US, which recognised the Syrian territory becoming part of Israel in 2019.

The map refers to the “Greater Israel” project, where Israel’s borders would expand to occupy the entirety of the Occupied Palestinian territories, Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, along with parts of Jordan and Syria.

It was reported on August 13th that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was on a “historic and spiritual mission” to fulfil Greater Israel plans.

Although Prien did not directly refer to the map, she said the museum visit was the highlight of her day. Palestinian-German representative Jules El Khatib said the video “strengthens the narrative of radical right-wingers in Israel who erase Palestine, want to deport its population and dream of a ‘Greater Israel.”

El Khatib added that “such a video is not a coincidence, but political communication that sends a signal.”

Germany has long supported Israel, including providing Israel with 326.5 million Euros worth of arms in 2023, making it the largest supplier of arms to Israel after the US.

However, Germany announced the suspension of military exports to Israel on August 8th over concerns about Israeli human rights abuses in Gaza, despite the country being described by Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor as “Israel’s most important ally in Europe.”

In April, German authorities ordered the deportation of pro-Palestine activists, claiming their presence posed a “national security” threat. Protestors have reportedly been banned from chanting or speaking in Arabic, Irish or Hebrew at demonstrations; crackdowns on freedom of speech are carried out under the guise of fighting antisemitism in Europe.

During a visit to Israel, after the Hamas-led attack on October 7th, 2023, the then German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said: “In such difficult times, there is only one place we can be: at Israel’s side.”

The National and agencies, Al Jazeera and agencies, Middle East Eye, Maghrebi.org