\u201cEurope is important \u2014 the United Kingdom and France are permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, and both matter. The European Union as a whole is also important,\u201d Wadephul said, arguing that Germany has also played an active role.<\/p>\n
\u201cYesterday, I spoke with the Qatari foreign minister and prime minister \u2014 the key man in contact with Hamas \u2026 Tonight, I\u2019ll fly to Cairo to meet the Egyptian foreign minister,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m doing exactly what a foreign minister should: Building understanding, exchanging positions, helping mediate, building bridges \u2026 Whether it ultimately helps achieve success, we\u2019ll see \u2014 but it\u2019s my duty to keep trying.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reflecting on the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attacks that killed some 1,200 people two years ago, Wadephul said he had warned colleagues early on that Israel\u2019s retaliation would eventually test Western support: \u201cAt some point people would start saying, \u2018Israel is overdoing it now.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
He expressed disappointment at Germany\u2019s solidarity demonstrations, which he attended in the wake of the deadly attack, noting that \u201cempathy wasn\u2019t as widespread or as strong as I had hoped\u201d and citing a \u201ccertain alienation\u201d linked to Israel\u2019s settlement policies.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany came, yes \u2014 but not enough to fill the entire Stra\u00dfe des 17. Juni up to the Victory Column. That\u2019s how it should have been \u2014 but it wasn\u2019t,\u201d he said. \u201cThat deep empathy, that solidarity wasn\u2019t as widespread or as strong as I had hoped.\u201d<\/p>\n