Church - Bishop Ackermann warns of increasing hatred in the Middle East
The Bishop of Trier, Stephan Ackermann, has warned of increasing hatred between Palestinians and Israelis. "There must be an end to the terror and the war as soon as possible," he told the German Press Agency about the conflict between the Palestinian Hamas terror group and Israel in Gaza. "And there needs to be a genuine will for peaceful coexistence, otherwise there are no political prospects."
"The worst thing would be for hatred and anger to become even more entrenched in people's hearts. And then become an explosive device for further alienation and new terror," said Ackermann. "It is madness, the traumatization and hatred that is understandably being sown on both sides."
At the same time, the bishop recalled the great visions of comprehensive peace that can be found in the Bible. These came from "the biblical prophets, that is Jewish tradition", said the bishop. They cannot be reconciled with the Hamas terror attacks and the Middle East conflict that has dragged on for decades. This "blatant contradiction" hurts him greatly.
The Gaza war was triggered by the worst massacre in Israel's history, carried out by Hamas terrorists and other extremist groups near the Israeli border on October 7. More than 1,200 people were killed on the Israeli side, most of them civilians.
Ackermann said that he would welcome it if there was "a binding form of confrontation" in Germany, especially for young people, with the special German responsibility for the Holocaust and anti-Semitism.
On the question of whether he considers a commitment to Israel's right to exist to be a prerequisite for naturalization in Germany, he said: "You can expect that from a German citizen, but it must then apply to everyone, including those who are born into citizenship." There is an "obligation for everyone to come to terms with Germany's responsibility for the Holocaust".
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- Despite the warnings of Bishop Stephan Ackermann from Saarland, the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Palestinian territories, specifically in Gaza, continues to escalate.
- The Bishop of Trier expressed concern about the turn of the year, fearing that the hatred and anger between the two sides might become even more deeply entrenched, fueling further conflict.
- The Palestinian Hamas terror group was blamed for a massacre near the Israeli border on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 people, the majority of whom were civilians.
- Bishop Ackermann highlighted the contradiction between the biblical prophets' visions of comprehensive peace and the ongoing Middle East conflict, which has persisted for decades.
- The German Press Agency reported that Ackermann welcomed the possibility of a binding confrontation in Germany, especially for young people, to address the country's historical responsibility for the Holocaust and anti-Semitism.
- The Bishop of Trier emphasized that the commitment to Israel's right to exist should be a requirement for all German citizens, regardless of their birthplace.
- The Middle East conflict is not confined to the Palestinian territories and Gaza, as other conflicts and tensions also persist in the region.
- Although the Bishop of Trier urged for an end to the war and the terror, the Israeli Defense Forces and Hamas continue their hostilities, leading to ongoing casualties and humanitarian concerns.
- The German government, along with global church leaders, has called for a ceasefire and negotiations between the Israeli and Palestinian sides to find a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Source: www.stern.de
