Germany Strikes Balancing Act in Southeast Asia

Picture: Michael Kappeler/dpa/picture alliance

In an article by Deutsche Welle, Nina Haase reports Germany’s position on Israel-Hamas war, and its overall ties with the Southeast Asia region.

Malaysia has no diplomatic relations with Israel. It supports South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. It has not distanced itself from Hamas terrorism.

German lawmaker Jürgen Hardt, from the conservative opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU), told DW that Berlin must make it clear to Muslim-majority countries "that Israel is Germany's closest ally in the Middle East."

Baerbock was the first German foreign minister to go to Malaysia since Joschka Fischer, also from the Green Party, visited in 2005. The country has since become one of Germany's main trade partners in Southeast Asia. 

However, Asian countries, even Muslim-majority ones like Malaysia, will not see the Israel-Hamas war as a litmus test for their ties to Germany, according to Felix Heiduk, an Asia expert at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.