Middle East conflict - Bishop Fehrs: Israelis' suffering does not get through enough
Kirsten Fehrs, the current Chair of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), has called for better protection for children in war zones. "There is less and less consideration for the weakest in wars and conflicts," said the Bishop of the Hamburg and Lübeck diocese at the Advent reception of the North Church. This applies to Syria and Ukraine as well as the Middle East.
Fehrs was 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?"
Fehrs suggested talking more intensively with young people about the Middle East conflict. "It must give us pause for thought that quite a few schoolchildren primarily see the suffering of the Palestinians and have little understanding of the feelings of Israelis and Jewish people." The main reason for this is a one-sided flood of images in the social media.
It is true that the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza goes to everyone's heart and that every effort must be made to protect the civilian population, especially the children. "But in my view, this demand can only be made credibly if we also stand firmly on Israel's side," emphasized Fehrs. The history of the current events must also be told: "First the terror of Hamas, then the decades-long conflict with many missed opportunities on all sides."
Around 350 guests from politics, business and society were invited to the Advent reception in Hamburg's St. Catherine's Church. Fehrs has been acting EKD Council Chair since Annette Kurschus stepped down in November.
Bishop Kirsten Fehrs
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Source: www.stern.de
