One of the most surprising as well as distressing aspects of the international response to the middle-east crisis relates to the almost unconditional support that Germany has extended to Israel’s genocidal actions against the people of Gaza. How can the government of Germany, which in the past has been speaking so much of protecting human rights, possibly justify this? Both its policy and the grounds on which it is supposed to be based should be questioned and challenged.
If in addition if it can be shown more effectively that this policy is harmful for Germany’s own interests and its international standing as well, then the case for changing this policy and instead have a more balanced and justifiable policy can be strengthened further.
The basic issues that are involved have been summarized well in a recent paper published at the website of German Institute for Development and Sustainability (IDOS) on May 2, 2024, titled ‘Germany’s support for Israel’s government changes the rules-based order’, written by Furness Mark and Max-Otto Baumann.
This paper states,
“Since the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, Germany has used the term ‘Staatsrason’ to justify its political and military backing for Israel’s war on Gaza. The principle is based on Germany’s responsibility for the holocaust and its consequent moral obligation to protect the Jewish people and their homeland, and is considered a moral foundation of the German state.”
After describing position of the German response, this paper also presents its critique of the same,
“By strictly adhering to Staatsrason in the current Middle-East crisis, the German government has backed itself into a corner…The unconditional support for the Israeli government undermines the moral responsibility to safeguard human life on which Staatsrason is based.” (more...)
Germany Must Reconsider Its Extreme Support for Israeli Aggression
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