German activists speak out in Dubai on suffering in Israel and the Gaza Strip

German activists speak out in Dubai on suffering in Israel and the Gaza Strip

"We would like to express our grief and our boundless solidarity for all civilians," explain the signatories. These are the Political Director of Germanwatch, Christoph Bals, the Fridays for Future activist Luisa Neubauer, the board member of the Climate Alliance network, Christiane Averbeck, BUND Chairman Olaf Bandt, Nabu President Jörg-Andreas Krüger, Bread for the World President Dagmar Pruin, Misereor CEO Pirmin Spiegel and Kristina Lunz from the Center for Feminist Foreign Policy.

Reference is made to the attack by the Islamist Hamas on Israel on October 7, in which, according to Israeli figures, around 1,200 people were killed in Israel and around 240 people were taken hostage. "We are deeply shocked by the continuing terror, hatred and violence of Hamas against Jewish life and Israel, by the will to destroy that is evident here, and we condemn it in the strongest possible terms," the text reads. It also calls for the immediate release of all hostages.

The participants also clearly oppose anti-Semitism in Germany and everywhere else in the world as well as on the internet, including "possibly at COP28". "It breaks our hearts that more and more Jews are feeling increasingly unsafe in Germany of all places" and "are becoming the target of attacks".

However, it also states: "We are increasingly appalled by the growing suffering of civil society in the Palestinian territories and the many people who have been killed". Reference is made to the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza. Anti-Muslim racism is also rejected, including in Germany. The signatories expressly recognize Israel's right to self-defence, but it must be based on "human rights and human dignity".

"It is time for all guns to fall silent in the long term," the statement reads. Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) should do everything in their power to achieve this.

In recent weeks, the war between Israel and Hamas has led to internal disputes within some climate and environmental organizations, including Fridays for Future. At the climate conference on Sunday, there was a pro-Palestinian rally by a number of participants. They called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

In response to the Hamas attack on October 7, Israel has been massively shelling targets in the Gaza Strip from the air and on the ground ever since. According to Hamas, which cannot be independently verified, more than 15,500 people have been killed by Israeli attacks in the Palestinian territory to date. A ceasefire lasting several days ended on Friday.

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1. The signatories, including members from the Climate Alliance and Bread for the World, expressed their grief and solidarity for the civilians affected by the conflict in Israel and the Gaza Strip.
2. Christoph Bals, the Political Director of Germanwatch, and Luisa Neubauer, a Fridays for Future activist, were among the signatories who condemned the terror and hatred displayed by Hamas.
3. The signatories also denounced anti-Semitism in Germany and other parts of the world, including potentially at the COP28 climate conference.
4. They expressed concern over the growing suffering of civil society in the Palestinian territories, especially in Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is catastrophic.
5. The participants opposed anti-Muslim racism, including in Germany, and recognized Israel's right to self-defense, but emphasized the need for it to be based on human rights and dignity.
6. The statement called for a long-term cessation of all hostilities, urging Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock to use their influence to achieve this.
7. The conflict between Israel and Hamas has led to internal disputes within some climate and environmental organizations, with a pro-Palestinian rally calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip at the recent climate conference.
8. In response to the Hamas attack on October 7, Israel has been engaging in heavy shelling of targets in the Gaza Strip, which according to Hamas, has resulted in over 15,500 deaths since the beginning of Israeli attacks in the Palestinian territory.
9. Misereor CEO Pirmin Spiegel, Kristina Lunz from the Center for Feminist Foreign Policy, and Nabu President Jörg-Andreas Krüger were among the other prominent figures who signed the statement expressing their concerns.
10. The statement also demanded the immediate release of all hostages taken during the conflict and called for an end to the will to destroy Jewish life and Israel.
11. The participants of the meeting in Dubai emphasized the importance of addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict alongside climate change, recognizing that both are urgent humanitarian concerns.
12. The Nature Conservation Association Germany and the German Environment Ministry were also mentioned in the statement, demonstrating a wide range of organizations and individuals involved in addressing these issues.
13. The signatories urged the international community to take action to bring about a sustainable peace in the region, recognizing that the suffering of both Palestinians and Israelis requires a collective response.
14. Christiane Averbeck, the board member of the Climate Alliance network, and Olaf Bandt, the BUND Chairman, were also among the signatories who sought to bridge the divide and promote reconciliation through diplomatic efforts.

Source: www.stern.de