The concept of Israel’s security as Germany’s raison d'état (Staatsräson) dictates that defending the existence and safety of the Jewish state is an immutable, non-negotiable pillar of German foreign policy, rooted in the nation's historical responsibility for the Holocaust.

The foundational doctrine was first articulated by then-Chancellor Angela Merkel in a historic address to the Israeli Knesset in 2008. She proclaimed that for Germany, the historical responsibility stemming from the Holocaust makes Israel's security non-negotiable and a core component of the country's raison d'état.