Baerbock: Prevent conflagration in the Middle East
On the one hand, Foreign Minister Baerbock defends Israel's right to self-defense. On the other hand, the Palestinians also need a perspective for the future, she says at the Green Party conference. Guest speakers will also address anti-Semitism in Germany.
At their national party conference in Karlsruhe, the Greens clearly declared their solidarity with Israel and "condemned the terror of Hamas in the strongest terms". In an urgent motion passed unanimously late on Thursday evening, reference is made not only to the suffering of the Israelis but also to the suffering of the Palestinian civilian population. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock warned urgently of new rifts "if the suffering of others is no longer seen". It is "our task to prevent precisely that - a regional conflagration and these international rifts."
Baerbock cited the fates of people she had met on both sides in recent weeks. "Both are a reality," she emphasized. "Israel will never be able to live in security if this terror is not combated," she said, defending Israel's right to self-defense against the Islamist Hamas. However, there will also be no security for Israel "if the Palestinians do not also have prospects for the future".
The Foreign Minister recalled the terrible images of murdered and abducted people following the brutal attack by Hamas on October 7. This was also directed against the normalization of relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors. But the following also applies: "Anyone who has looked with both eyes these days has seen the terrible images from the Shifa hospital in Gaza," Baerbock continued. However, the image also included the Hamas tunnels that were discovered near the hospital and the patients abused as human shields.
Radical settlers also criticized
It is important to "talk about tomorrow", even if a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine "seems a long way off today", warned the Foreign Minister. She also criticized Israeli settlers who "expel or even kill Palestinians" in the West Bank.
Guest speaker Hanna Veiler, Chairwoman of the Jewish Student Union in Germany, addressed the experiences of anti-Semitism in Germany. She referred to Jews who no longer dare to wear the Star of David or other identifying symbols openly or who are afraid to go to university.
"Jews and Israelis must be able to live freely and safely in Germany," reads the resolution of the Green Party conference. An attack on Jews is "always also an attack on our free and democratic basic order". This also applies to "rallies at which Hamas terrorism is glorified and celebrated", the text emphasizes.
Ceasefire and prisoner exchange
Another guest speaker, Muslim political scientist Saba Nur-Cheema, expressed her dismay at the lack of solidarity with the Israelis who were attacked after October 7 or even expressions of solidarity with Hamas. "We have a big problem, anti-Semitism is widespread in large parts of the Muslim community," she said, adding that images of the enemy are not questioned enough. She also criticized anti-Muslim sentiment in Germany.
On 7 October, hundreds of fighters from Hamas, which is classified as a terrorist organization by the USA and the EU, attacked Israel and committed atrocities there, mainly against civilians. According to Israeli figures, around 1,200 people were killed in Israel and around 240 people were taken hostage in the Gaza Strip.
In response, Israel launched massive attacks on targets in the Gaza Strip. According to the authorities controlled by the Islamist Hamas, more than 14,000 people have been killed there since then. A four-day ceasefire is due to begin on Friday morning. In the afternoon, a first group of hostages are to be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners who are in jail in Israel.
- During the Alliance 90/The Greens party conference, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock emphasized the necessity of Israel's right to self-defense in the context of the Middle East conflict, while also calling for a future perspective for the Palestinians.
- At the conference, the Greens strongly condemned the terror acts of Hamas and expressed concern about rising anti-Semitism in Germany, stressing that attacks on Jews are attacks on Germany's democratic foundations.
- Guest speaker Hanna Veiler highlighted the experiences of anti-Semitism among Jews in Germany, including instances where they refrain from openly displaying their faith due to fear of harassment or violence.
Source: www.ntv.de
