Crisis diplomacy in fast motion

Minister Baerbock has visited four countries on her Middle East trip, trying to foster understanding for each side. The summit in Cairo also focused on keeping channels of communication open. Four countries in three days: Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, and Egypt. It is an ambitious program that Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is undertaking in the Middle East—talking, talking, talking. She knows that she can hardly bring concrete and visible results, but she wants to build trust and promote understanding for each side. “Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes,” as she calls it in a press conference.

Her goal is to prevent worse and the much talked-about and feared wildfire. At the same time, she repeatedly speaks about the urgent need to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Concerns about unrest in Jordan

In the Jordanian capital, Amman, her first stop, flags are flying at half-mast. A three-day state mourning was declared in Jordan after the explosion in a hospital in the Gaza Strip, which claimed many lives. More than half of the population has Palestinian roots.

Thousands of people took to the streets, convinced that Israel is the aggressor. The meeting between Baerbock and her Jordanian counterpart, Aiman al-Safadi, takes place in a tense situation. The German government is expected to show more compassion for the suffering of Palestinian civilians. A balancing act for the Minister.

As often, she tries to reach out to people through personal stories. The Green politician talks about the Israeli father she met in Tel Aviv, who is worried about his family, his children who were taken hostage in the Gaza Strip. And she tells the story of a Palestinian mother who can no longer find clean drinking water for her child in the Gaza Strip.

These two stories become a common thread that she takes with her on her three-day journey through the Middle East and presents repeatedly. Does the suffering of this mother bring back any Israeli hostage? No, says Baerbock. That is why it is important for each party to consider the perspective of the other.

Where does German aid money for Palestinians go?

Consciously, Baerbock announces further aid for the people in the Gaza Strip, 50 million euros, during her first visit to Jordan. She hopes that this will give more weight to her words. The money is earmarked for the World Food Program and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

Their Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini, meets the German Foreign Minister in Amman. He describes the situation as dramatic. There is hardly any water, medicine, and food left in the Gaza Strip. Jordan appreciates the additional funds, but Baerbock faces criticism in Germany for it.

Aid for Palestine, including the UN agency, is controversial. All contributions are currently being reviewed, including at the Foreign Office. Critics fear that this indirectly finances Hamas. UNRWA Commissioner-General Lazzarini assures that the money will be used for education, health and social assistance, and to support the Palestinians served by the relief agency.

Full solidarity with Israel

Only 25 minutes by plane, the other side awaits the German Minister the next morning. At Tel Aviv airport, she meets Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen.

Immediately afterward, there is a lengthy exchange with Benny Gantz, a member of Netanyahu’s war cabinet, at the German Embassy. Baerbock assures both that Germany stands in solidarity with Israel, reiterating her commitment that she has placed at the forefront since the Hamas attack on Israel, “Israel not only has the right but also the duty to protect its population in accordance with international law.”

But behind closed doors, she also addresses settler violence against Palestinians. In the official statement, it is phrased as follows: She has repeatedly heard from the Israeli side, “We will not give up our humanity.” The people in Gaza, the Palestinians, are not indifferent to Israel. That is the difference between a democratic state like Israel and terrorists like Hamas.

The German Foreign Minister is aware of the delicate balance and carefully chooses her words. Although her official statements may differ in nuances, whether in Jordan or in Israel, Baerbock always speaks about the suffering of people on the other side.

Using personal stories, she hopes to evoke empathy and break through the power of social media posts in the digital bubble of the Arab world and Israel. Is it naive? Perhaps, but that doesn’t deter her from her strategy.

Taking a detour to Beirut

The one-hour flight from Tel Aviv to Beirut, a distance of just over 200 kilometers, reminds the Foreign Minister of how complicated the situation in the region is. After a large loop over the Mediterranean, she arrives in Lebanon. The detour is necessary, as it is not allowed to fly directly from Israel to Lebanon, from one neighboring country to another. The path of the detour on the flight monitor symbolizes what mediation attempts have to deal with.

Baerbock meets with her counterpart and the Prime Minister, knowing that both are only acting in a caretaker capacity and have little influence. These are primarily polite conversations. The meeting with Joseph Aoun, the commander of the Lebanese army, who has channels of communication with Hezbollah, is different. He is someone who can provide insights and also convey messages.

Overall, the stop in Beirut is more of an exploratory visit. No public appearances, no joint press conferences, similar to Israel. Baerbock’s focus is on talking and listening, especially behind closed doors, where things can be said that cannot be said publicly.

Mission with an open outcome

The final stop is Egypt. On the way from the airport, large advertising spaces, all in green, the color of Islam, announce the “Cairo Summit for Peace”. A hastily convened “summit for peace” in the Middle East, with which Egypt wants to gain prominence.

Although many Western politicians, representatives from the Middle East, and the Gulf region have doubts about the meaningfulness of this conference at this time, everyone wants to show their presence and, above all, keep channels of communication open.

Almost simultaneously with the start of the summit on Saturday morning, the first trucks carrying aid goods roll into the Gaza Strip through the Egyptian border crossing at Rafah after long negotiations behind the scenes. One could say it’s a perfect timing for the Egyptian President. And for the German Foreign Minister? Baerbock expresses relief. That is a sign of hope in these difficult hours. She thanks “everyone who contributed to it”.

Appeal to regional countries

Baerbock has thus come a step closer to one of the goals of her Middle East mission – humanitarian relief. However, it is clear that many more truckloads are needed to provide long-term support for the people. During the summit, Baerbock appeals to the countries in the region to also provide immediate assistance. The long-term goal – peace and a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine – still seems distant.

The German Foreign Minister did not achieve concrete results during her three-day Middle East tour, but according to Baerbock, she was aware of that from the beginning of her journey. Her approach is to build contacts and engage in dialogue. But does it really make a difference in the face of the prevailing war rhetoric on both sides? It seems like a Sisyphean task while rockets continue to be fired from the Gaza Strip and Israel claims to be preparing for the next phase of the war.