Israeli politicians who worked closely with the outgoing German chancellor, including former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, say she always had Israel’s back, even when she was critical of some of its policies
their first elections in 15 years
.
Instead, they are watching as their leaders in the Gaza Strip wage a rocket and air strike war with Israel and their president in the West Bank appears powerless to
protect his people or stop the carnage.
As the situation descends into another bloody conflict, political analysts and western diplomats monitoring the region say that the blame lies with two players: an intransigent Israel after a nationalist far-right refused to co-operate with Israeli Palestinian politicians to form a government; and an ineffectual Palestinian leadership that has left its people frustrated and angry. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas speaks during an emergency meeting of the Fatah Central Committee and the PLO Executive Committee in the occupied West Bank City of Ramallah, on May 12, 2021. AFP