BERLIN Germany's conservative chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz pledged Thursday to remove all restrictions on arms exports to Israel if his party returns to power. In a speech at the Koerber Foundation in Berlin, Merz laid out his Christian Democrats' (CDU/CSU) foreign policy vision, highlighting Germany's commitment to Israel's security. “A government led by me will strengthen our relations with Israel. I will immediately end the de facto export embargo of the current government,” he said,