Remembrance Day: Princess Victoria emphasizes international law
At the Remembrance Day ceremony in the Berlin Bundestag, Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria recalled the suffering caused by the war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East. "The mood in the world is icier than it has been for a long time," she said in her speech. The commemoration was accompanied by music, with young women from Ukraine, France and Sweden speaking. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and government representatives were also present.
"It is a war that reminds us of the darkest chapters of European history," said Victoria about the war in Ukraine. Added to this were the developments following the "terrible attacks" by Hamas on Israeli civilians. "We are seeing horrific images from Gaza with great human suffering." Of course, Israel has the right to defend itself in accordance with international law. "The protection of all civilians, both in Israel and in Gaza, must be guaranteed and international humanitarian law must be respected at all times and under all circumstances."
The Crown Princess urged that the lessons learned from the horrors of war and tyranny should never be forgotten. "It is a source of hope that the governments and peoples of democratic Europe will stick together in difficult times. The German experience shows that it is possible to overcome even the darkest past."
The victims of war and tyranny are commemorated every year on Remembrance Day. Special themes of this year's Remembrance Day are 70 years of youth work by the German War Graves Commission, German-Swedish history and the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.
Schneiderhan: Stunned by the terror of Hamas
The President of the German War Graves Commission, the former Inspector General of the German Armed Forces, Wolfgang Schneiderhan, reminded the Bundestag that Lviv (Lemberg) in western Ukraine is just 900 kilometers away from Germany. "That's the distance from Flensburg to Freiburg." The war there is being waged "by the Russian side with ludicrous brutality, including against the Ukrainian civilian population".
We are stunned by the terror of Hamas against the citizens of Israel and the suffering that has been caused in this region, said Schneiderhan. "And we are also stunned by the renewed rise of anti-Semitism in our society and in our country."
Schneiderhahn recalled the deaths, the suffering and the consequences of the Second World War triggered by Germany. Nevertheless, peace and prosperity were possible afterwards. "The foundation for this was laid by European integration and the willingness of our neighbors to reconcile. Reconciliation cannot be demanded. You can only accept the offer with gratitude."
Wreath-laying ceremony in Berlin
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) had already laid wreaths at the Jewish cemetery in the Weißensee district together with Berlin state politicians in the morning. "We are celebrating this year's National Day of Mourning at a bitter time," said former Bundestag President Wolfgang Thierse in his commemorative speech. "We are not only tormented by the never-ending war of aggression waged by Putin and Russia against Ukraine. We are also deeply shocked by the murders committed by Hamas in Israel."
"By commemorating Jewish soldiers here today, we do so in the knowledge that what is currently happening in the Middle East has to do with German history," said Thierse. "By commemorating the Jewish fallen in a German and European war, we are also expressing our sympathy for the victims of the Jewish homeland of Israel, which is fighting for its existence."
- Princess Victoria, during her speech at the Remembrance Day ceremony, highlighted the connection between the war in Ukraine and the Middle East, stating, "We are seeing horrific images from Gaza with great human suffering, a situation that reminds us of the darkest chapters of European history."
- Wolfgang Schneiderhan, the President of the German War Graves Commission, expressed his shock at the terror of Hamas against Israeli civilians, saying, "We are stunned by the terror of Hamas against the citizens of Israel and the suffering that has been caused in this region."
- In the context of the wreath-laying ceremony in Berlin, former Bundestag President Wolfgang Thierse emphasized the link between current events in the Middle East and German history, stating, "By commemorating Jewish soldiers here today, we do so in the knowledge that what is currently happening in the Middle East has to do with German history."
Source: www.dpa.com
