Germany to continue supporting Israel: Merkel

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says Berlin will continue to support Israel, despite Tel Aviv’s recent attacks on the Gaza Strip which left scores of women and children dead.

“Germany will always stand on the side of Israel on the issue (of security),” Merkel said on Saturday.

“Israel has not only the right but the duty to protect its citizens,” she added.

Merkel’s comments come just two days after Berlin abstained in a UN vote on an upgraded status for Palestinians.

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said in a statement on Thursday that Berlin had decided to abstain in the vote due to fears the UN resolution would complicate talks between Palestinians and Israelis.

“We did not take this decision lightly. Germany shares the goal of a Palestinian state. We have campaigned for this in many ways… but the decisive steps towards real statehood can only be the result of negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians,” he said.

On Thursday, the 193-member assembly voted 138-9 with 41 abstentions at the UN headquarters in New York for a resolution approving the upgrade.

Over 160 Palestinians, including women and children, were killed and about 1,200 others were injured in the Israeli attacks on Gaza that were carried out from November 14 to 21.

In retaliation, Palestinian resistance fighters incessantly fired rockets and missiles into Israeli cities, killing at least five Israelis.

Meanwhile, Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu and his ministers will travel to Germany on Thursday for talks on a number of issues including security.