BERLIN: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz described President Donald Trump鈥檚 suggestion that the US could take ownership of the Gaza Strip, relocate its population and redevelop it as a 鈥渟candal鈥� in a pre-election debate Sunday. His main challenger also voiced unease but suggested there鈥檚 鈥渁 lot of rhetoric鈥� coming from Washington.
The center-left Scholz and center-right challenger Friedrich Merz, the front-runner in the Feb. 23 election, discussed top domestic issues such as Germany鈥檚 struggling economy and migration, and also addressed foreign policy three weeks into Trump鈥檚 new term.
Asked what he made of Trump鈥檚 proposal to redevelop Gaza into 鈥渢he Riviera of the Middle East,鈥� Scholz replied: 鈥淎 scandal. Besides that, a really terrible expression,鈥� given the extent of the destruction that is now visible there.
鈥淭he relocation of populations is unacceptable and against international law,鈥� he added in the debate on ARD and ZDF public television. He pointed to the position of Egypt and Jordan.
鈥淚 share this assessment,鈥� Merz said. 鈥淏ut it is one of a whole series of proposals coming from the American administration that are certainly disconcerting, but one has to wait and see what is really meant seriously and how it is implemented 鈥� there鈥檚 probably a lot of rhetoric in this.鈥�
The two candidates differed in their assessment of a Trump order directing the federal government to recognize only two sexes 鈥� male and female. Merz said it 鈥渋s a decision I can understand.鈥�
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 inappropriate,鈥� Scholz said. 鈥淓very person should be happy the way they want to be happy.鈥�
Merz said the new US president is 鈥減redictably unpredictable.鈥� He said that 鈥渢here are significant concerns on this side of the Atlantic about what else is coming; so it鈥檚 all the more important that we on this side of the Atlantic are as united as possible.鈥�
He said that, if elected, he would put a great deal of effort into ensuring such European unity.
Scholz said that his strategy for dealing with Trump is 鈥渃lear words and friendly conversations.鈥� He pointed to his public statements after Trump said he wouldn鈥檛 rule out the use of military force to take control of the Panama Canal and Greenland that all countries must respect existing borders.
He also pointed to the importance of European unity and said he and other countries are working on proposals to increase NATO鈥檚 presence in Greenland.
Asked about a response to possible US tariffs against the EU, Scholz said: 鈥淲e are prepared ... We can act in an hour as the European Union.鈥�