So far, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been the only European head of state to pin the responsibility for violence in Gaza entirely on Hamas. In a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on January 5, Merkel reiterated Germany’s support for Israel in this conflict and stressed that no ceasefire should be declared until Israeli security could be guaranteed.

Despite these words of support coming from Merkel, it seems the majority of Germans disagree with her pro-Israel stance.

In response to the ongoing military operation in Gaza, a wave of anti-Israel demonstrations has surged across Germany. Roughly 10,000 demonstrators marched in Frankfurt on January 3 carrying banners equating the current Israeli offensive with a second Holocaust. Sacha Stawski, the editor in chief of Honestly Concerned, a media watchdog outlet in Frankfurt monitoring anti-Semitism and anti-Israelism, told the Jerusalem Post that he heard chants coming from this crowd of “Gas the Jews!” and “Merkel out!”

Similar protests were held in Berlin and Düsseldorf.

In addition to this outrage coming from the masses, several key political figures have also criticized Merkel’s support for Israel. Most of these critics have come from Merkel’s coalition partner, the Social Democratic Party (spd), as well as from the Left Party and the Free Democratic Party (fdp). Left Party member of parliament and foreign policy adviser Wolfgang Gehrcke, who marched in a pro-Hezbollah demonstration in 2006, even went so far as to refuse to support a resolution criticizing Hamas. Instead, he demanded that both Merkel and spd Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier issue a public criticism against Israel.

Criticizing Israel for attempting to defend itself from Hamas rockets has become a mainstream pastime among German intellectuals and media elite. Polls show that over half of Germans disagree with the statement that Germany has a “special responsibility” toward Israel because of its history. A poll conducted by the Bertelsmann Foundation found that three in ten Germans have no qualms about comparing Israel today with Nazi Germany.

Angela Merkel’s support for Israel is bringing her into direct conflict with her own people. This conflict is bound to have a negative impact on her political career and signals a dangerous turning point in German history. Merkel’s time as the leader of Germany is almost at an end. With her gone, Germany will be in great danger of taking on a worldview that more reflects the German people as a whole—a much more anti-Semitic view.

For more information on the future of Germany after Merkel’s departure, read “Angela Merkel’s Historic Holocaust Speech” by editor in chief Gerald Flurry.