At the end of July, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who belongs to the center-left Social Democrats, visited Hawaii where two German warships, including the Baden-Württemberg frigate, were participating in the US-led naval Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) military exercise.

Despite the distance, Pistorius could not ignore the escalation between Israel, Hamas and Iran. With regard to a potential Iranian attack on Israel, Pistorius told DW correspondent Michaela Küfner that "we don't need that. We don't want that."

"It needs to be prevented because nobody can wish or can even imagine the further escalation of the region," he said. "We have to do everything to get peace back in that region as soon as possible."

Back in Germany, meanwhile, there has long been an ongoing debate as to whether the country's armed forces, the Bundeswehr, should be deployed to protect Israel should Iran attack. Germany already supplies weapons to Israel and supports the government in many other areas, but the idea of deploying German troops has always been inconceivable. No Israeli government has ever issued such a request either.

Yet German lawmaker Roderich Kiesewetter, security spokesperson for........

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