Berlin. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz described President Donald Trump's suggestion that the United States could take ownership of the Gaza Strip, relocate its population, and redevelop it as a “scandal” in a pre-election debate Sunday. His main challenger also voiced unease but suggested there’s “a lot of rhetoric” 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's struggling economy and migration and also addressed foreign policy three weeks into Trump's new term.

Asked what he made of Trump's proposal to redevelop Gaza into “the Riviera of the Middle East," Scholz replied: “A scandal. Besides that, a really terrible expression," given the extent of the destruction that is now visible there.

“The relocation of populations is unacceptable and against international law,” he added in the debate on ARD and ZDF public television. He pointed to the position of Egypt and Jordan.

“I share this assessment,” Merz said. “But 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 -- there's probably a lot of rhetoric in this.”

The two candidates differed in their assessment of a Trump order directing the federal government to recognize only two sexes -- male and female. Merz said it “is a decision I can understand.”

“I think it's inappropriate,” Scholz said. “Every person should be happy the way they want to be happy.”

Merz said the new US president is “predictably unpredictable.” He said that “there are significant concerns on this side of the Atlantic about what else is coming; so it's all the more important that we on this side of the Atlantic are as united as possible.”

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 “clear words and friendly conversations.” He pointed to his public statements after Trump said he wouldn't 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's presence in Greenland.

Asked about a response to possible U.S. tariffs against the EU, Scholz said: “We are prepared ... We can act in an hour as the European Union.”