Middle East conflict - Bishop concerned about one-sided flood of images on the Gaza war
Kirsten Fehrs, the current Chair of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), has expressed concern about the one-sided flood of images about the Gaza war. She called for more intensive discussions with young people about the Middle East conflict. "TikTok and other so-called social media in particular are being used to disseminate vast numbers of videos showing the suffering in Gaza - but there are few comparable images of the terror against Israel," said the Bishop of the Hamburg and Lübeck diocese at the North Church's Advent reception on Thursday.
"It must give us pause for thought that quite a few schoolchildren mainly see the suffering of the Palestinians and have little understanding of the feelings of Israelis and Jewish people," said Fehrs. Many do not and cannot know what the Middle East conflict is all about. "This leads to frighteningly one-sided statements that lament the suffering of the Palestinians and identify Israel as the culprit, even questioning Israel's right to exist." Fehrs also emphasized that it is not just about young people with a migration background, but about young people from all social classes and backgrounds, worldwide.
It was initially quite natural for young people to be moved by the suffering in Gaza. Fehrs was also affected by the images and reports from Israel and the Gaza Strip: "What does it do to a four-year-old girl who has to watch first her mother and then her father being shot by Hamas terrorists?" The bishop went on to ask: "How does a child in Gaza experience her house and the entire street being destroyed by bombs and her siblings being buried alive?"
Every effort must be made to protect the civilian population and, above all, the children. "But this demand can only be made credibly if we also stand firmly on Israel's side," emphasized Fehrs.
The bishop also called for better protection for children in other war zones, such as Ukraine, Syria, Yemen, Sudan and in the Armenian-inhabited region of Nagorno-Karabakh. "There is less and less consideration for the weakest in wars and conflicts," Fehrs lamented. The protection of children also has a theological dimension for Christians. God came into the world as a human being. "We often forget that: He came into the world as a Jewish child. Endangered from the very beginning."
Around 350 guests from politics, business and society were invited to the Advent reception at St. Catherine's Church in Hamburg. Fehrs has been acting EKD Council Chairwoman since Annette Kurschus stepped down in November.
Bishop Kirsten Fehrs
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- Kirsten Fehrs, the Chair of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), expressed concern about the one-sided flood of images about the Gaza war, particularly on platforms like TikTok.
- At the North Church's Advent reception, Fehrs stressed that while it's natural for young people to be moved by the suffering in Gaza, they often lack understanding of the feelings of Israelis and Jewish people.
- The Bishop of the Hamburg and Lübeck diocese highlighted that this lack of understanding often leads to one-sided statements, blaming Israel for the Middle East conflict and even questioning its right to exist.
- Fehrs mentioned that this issue isn't limited to young people with a migration background but affects young people worldwide.
- The bishop strongly advocated for better protection of children in war zones, including Gaza, but argued that this demand must be made credibly while standing firmly with Israel.
- Fehrs also called for protection of children in other conflict zones such as Ukraine, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, and Nagorno-Karabakh, as they are often overlooked in times of war.
- The protection of children has a theological dimension for Christians, Fehrs emphasized, as God came into the world as a Jewish child, endangered from the beginning.
Source: www.stern.de
