In a recent and widely noted statement, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared that “Israel is doing the dirty work for all of us”—a phrase that instantly triggered debate across Europe and the Middle East. While intended as a form of solidarity with Israel in its ongoing war against Hamas and regional threats, Merz's language raises deep moral, political, and historical questions about Europe's role in the Middle East and the ethics of outsourcing war, responsibility, and justice.
Germany's relationship with Israel is unlike any other nation's, rooted in the unspeakable crimes of the Holocaust and the enduring moral debt Germany owes to the Jewish people. When a German leader speaks of Israel engaging in “dirty work,” it echoes uncomfortably with historical overtones. Merz may have meant that Israel is confronting terrorism and radicalism on behalf of the democratic world. But the phrasing risks portraying Israel as a subcontractor of Western interests—doing morally compromising or violent tasks while others look away.
The irony is striking: Germany, which once perpetrated genocide against Jews, now praises Jews for conducting brutal warfare that Germans feel too conflicted or politically paralyzed to endorse or undertake themselves. In the name of moral support, Merz inadvertently offloads moral ambiguity onto Israel—saying, in effect, "You're doing what needs to be done, but we'd rather not be seen doing it ourselves."
The term “dirty work” is morally loaded. It suggests violence, compromise, actions taken in shadow rather than daylight. In the context of Israel’s military campaign—particularly in Gaza, where thousands of civilians have died—calling it “dirty work” implicitly acknowledges the controversial, even unsavory, nature of the tactics used. If Israel is acting in ways that violate international norms, the West cannot simply applaud from the sidelines while absolving itself of complicity.
Merz’s framing shifts responsibility away from Europe. It allows European leaders to enjoy the strategic benefits of a weakened Hamas or a deterred Iran without confronting their own populations with the bloody consequences of such a campaign. It is a dangerous moral outsourcing: Israel takes the bullets, draws the protests, absorbs the UN resolutions—while Europe maintains a cleaner image.
From a purely realpolitik perspective, Merz’s statement isn’t entirely inaccurate. Israel is on the front lines of a broader struggle against Iran’s regional proxies, militant jihadism, and anti-Western extremism. Many European capitals prefer not to get directly entangled in the region’s chaos. But realpolitik does not excuse moral cowardice. If Europe truly sees Israel’s war as a defense of Western civilization, then it should stand beside Israel not just in words but in shared accountability, humanitarian concern, and post-conflict rebuilding. Instead, Merz’s words reflect a strategy of convenient distance.
Instead of framing Israel as the West’s attack dog, Europe should engage more directly in conflict resolution, support diplomatic solutions, and be willing to bear the moral and political costs of its own security doctrine.
Chancellor Merz’s comment was likely meant as praise. But in calling Israel’s actions “dirty work,” he unintentionally admitted what many Western leaders try to hide: they are comfortable letting Israel wage morally fraught wars so long as it keeps European capitals safe. It is a revealing moment of ethical evasion—a statement that tries to express solidarity, but instead exposes the deep imbalance in how the West views war, allies, and its own responsibility.
If the West believes the war is just, then it must also own it. If the war is unjust, it must not be silently condoned. Either way, the phrase “dirty work” is no compliment. It is a confession.
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/germany-to-israel-thanks-for-doing-our-dirty-work/