Scholar in the study of society and human behavior. - Sznaider Declares Understanding Opponents Unattainable During Conflict
An Israeli sociologist named Natan Sznaider struggles with feelings of empathy towards those in the Gaza Strip during the ongoing conflict. "I find the notion of empathy for the other side in a war completely absurd," Sznaider shared during the Philosophy Festival Phil.Cologne in Cologne. "When my relatives and friends have family members fighting in the Gaza Strip, how can I even consider feeling empathy for the other side? Am I expected to be Mother Teresa here?" He struggles to comprehend this idea at the present moment. Sznaider further clarifies, stating, "It's not about empathy, it's about responsibility." He recognizes his duty as an Israeli to be held accountable for his country's actions in the Gaza Strip, despite not voting for Benjamin Netanyahu's government.
During interviews, he often suspects that the empathy question is actually a demand for sympathy for German victims in World War II bombings. In one instance, he attempted to address this by asking, "What are you really asking? Are you truly interested in empathy for the German victims in Dresden or Hamburg, or is there something else?" He remains uncertain whether his interpretation is correct.
Navid Kermani, a writer and Orientalist, conveyed his frustration over the inability of one side to acknowledge the suffering of the other. Interestingly, Kermani believes that Israel's increased hardness could simultaneously weaken it. Kermani, who has been friends with Sznaider for decades, noted, "Israel has never been more isolated than it is now, and this is due in part to Israel's response to October 7th. It aligns with Hamas's plan of discrediting Israel on the international stage and sparking a wave of solidarity for the Palestinian cause." Kermani asserts that Netanyahu's promise of "We ensure security by being as tough as possible" has, in fact, increased insecurity for the Israeli population.
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Sznaider's struggles with empathy towards the Gaza Strip during conflicts echo in universities across North Rhine-Westphalia, including Mannheim and Cologne. Despite these feelings, he acknowledges the responsibility of every Israeli to contribute to finding solutions for the ongoing conflicts. The philosopher Navid Kermani, who is well-known in Germany and the Gaza Strip, shares Sznaider's concerns about the lack of empathy and acknowledges the increasing hardness of Israel, which could potentially weaken its position internationally. During the summer, Cologne hosted the Philosophy Festival Phil.Cologne, where Sznaider questioned the true intent behind demands for empathy, possibly hinting at unresolved issues in German-Israeli relations.
