"Hamas wants many Palestinian civilians dead"
Anton Hofreiter, Chairman of the Bundestag's Europe Committee, defends Israel's actions against Hamas, but still hopes for a humanitarian ceasefire. The Green politician praises the role of US President Biden in the Middle East - and urges the German government to adopt a more resolute Ukraine policy.
"More pressure is needed on Hamas," demands Green politician Anton Hofreiter, stressing that the terrorist organization is primarily responsible for the current situation in the Gaza Strip. "Hamas deliberately wants to cause many dead Palestinian civilians in order to maintain the narrative of 'evil Israel'," Hofreiter said in the ntv program "Frühstart". In order to protect and evacuate the civilian population in the Gaza Strip, Hofreiter calls for humanitarian ceasefires. The people in Shifa Hospital must also be evacuated quickly now - if this is logistically possible, said the Chairman of the European Affairs Committee in the Bundestag.
With regard to Israel's attacks on terrorist targets in Syria, Hofreiter points out that an escalation in the region is always possible. However, the fact that the war has not yet escalated is above all a success for the USA. "We can be very happy about the actions of the US government. It is exerting pressure on Iran and Hezbollah," said Hofreiter, emphasizing how important Joe Biden is currently as US President. "You don't even want to imagine something like this happening while a guy like Trump or someone similar is US president."
If Biden had not ordered the two US aircraft carriers to the eastern Mediterranean, the situation would be much more difficult. However, Hofreiter said that the dependence of the USA would also show once again how little the EU is prepared for the situation in the Middle East. "The Europeans are completely dependent on the USA for their security. This has already been shown with Ukraine." When asked what the German government must now do better in its Middle East policy, Hofreiter said: "Germany cannot do more. Germany is doing what it can do."
Fighting all forms of anti-Semitism
The Middle East conflict has also long since arrived on German streets. Anti-Semitic incidents have been on the rise in Germany since the outbreak of war. Hofreiter therefore called for a cross-party consensus in the fight against hatred of Jews. The democratic parties should not cherry-pick the most "convenient" anti-Semitism, Hofreiter criticized.
"The left must not only look at radical right-wing anti-Semitism, but must also clearly recognize and name left-wing and Islamist anti-Semitism. But conservatives must also not pretend that only immigrant anti-Semitism exists." All democratic parties must therefore work together to condemn and combat all forms of anti-Semitism, which is the basic prerequisite for getting to grips with the problem.
Putin must "make it clear that he will lose the war"
In addition to the war in the Middle East, Hofreiter remains concerned about the war in Ukraine. He praised the increase in aid to Ukraine and criticized the German Chancellor. It was right to double the aid, but that alone would not be enough. "Doubling the aid to Ukraine is a good step, but the political decisions in the Chancellor's Office must be made much faster. Olaf Scholz in particular is called upon to stop hesitating." Hofreiter is once again clearly in favor of the delivery of the controversial Taurus cruise missiles and demands that the delivery of ammunition and spare parts must also be accelerated.
When asked how much longer Germany could afford to support Ukraine, Hofreiter said: "We can't really afford the war." Germany therefore continues to have a great interest in serious peace negotiations. To achieve this, however, it must be understood that Putin thinks completely differently to people in the West. Putin does not care how many Russian soldiers die. "Putin is only ready for peace negotiations when we make it clear to him that he will lose this war."
- Green politician Anton Hofreiter criticizes former US President Donald Trump's approach towards the Middle East, stating that the situation would be more challenging under his leadership, compared to President Joe Biden's current actions.
- In light of the escalating Middle East conflict and the rising anti-Semitic incidents in Germany, Hofreiter advocates for a united front among democratic parties to combat all forms of anti-Semitism, urging them to recognize and condemn anti-Semitism from various sources, including the left and right wings and Islamist groups.
- Anton Hofreiter, the Chair of the Bundestag's Europe Committee, emphasizes the importance of pressure on Hamas regarding the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, arguing that the terrorist organization intentionally targets Palestinian civilians to maintain a harmful narrative against Israel.
- Hofreiter opposes any increase in escalation in the Middle East and highlights the role of the US under President Biden's leadership in countering Iran and Hezbollah, expressing gratitude for the order of US aircraft carriers to the eastern Mediterranean, indicating that this move has prevented a potential deterioration of the situation.
- With concerns over the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Hofreiter calls for the German government to adopt a more decisive Ukraine policy, urging for a faster implementation of political decisions and approving the delivery of Taurus cruise missiles, while expressing the belief that peace negotiations may be achievable by demonstrating to Russian President Vladimir Putin that Germany and the West will not condone his aggressive actions in the region.
Source: www.ntv.de
