Although the ceasefire between Israel and Palestine remains in effect, tensions between the two have not subsided. World leaders from around the globe have been swaying to one side or another regarding their stance on the recently escalating conflict. Germany for one, has taken an approach of publicly defending Israel. Current Chancellor Angela Merkel addressed the ongoing strife between Israel and Palestine by emphasizing the country’s solidarity and support of Israel. Despite voicing her sadness on the loss of lives on both sides, Merkel has stuck to condoning Israel’s right to self-defence and protection of its citizens.
Sharing these sentiments and also quickly rising to Israel’s defence is Annalena Baerbock, the leading contender to succeed Merkel in Germany’s upcoming national elections. Baerbock, candidate of the German Green party appears to have taken a “pro-Israel” stance in response to the escalating violence between Israelis and Palestinians. She too condemned Hamas rocket attacks and backed Israel in their right to self-defence. She conveyed her solidarity with Israel when she said “I condemn the ongoing rocket attacks against Israel in the strongest possible way,” and again when she said “we stand by the side of the Israelis in these difficult hours.” Her affiliation with Israel was made even more apparent after she was seen attending a solidarity service at a synagogue in Berlin.
Although Germany’s backing of Israeli self-defence does not come as a surprise to most, what has is the silence on the atrocities that raged the Gaza Strip. The common theme of Germany’s response to the escalating violence is one that seldom addresses Israeli human rights violations and turns a blind eye on the devastations in Gaza. “This makes it all the more repulsive when the German government, the media and all of the parties represented in the Bundestag—led by the far-right Alternative for Germany —denounce as anti-Semites anyone who demonstrates against the war crimes being carried out in the Middle East“, says Schwartz.
German Greens Candidate, Annalena took to social media to express her solidarity with Israel and her country’s Jewish community by strongly condemning any violence on the part of the Palestinians. Baerbock came to the defense of the Jewish lives in Israel and also in Germany but made no mention of the tragedies or loss of lives in Gaza. “With all the complexities of the conflict in the Middle East, it is clear to me that Germany has a historical responsibility, Israel’s security is part of our state office, it’s right to exist is unquestionable and must not be threatened.”
Heavily condemning Hammas, Germany and its leading Green Party appear to be downplaying Israeli behaviour in the recent eruptions of violence. The loss of lives has been a stark reality for those on both sides of the conflict. Peter Schwartz sheds some light on this when he says that “no one can seriously argue that the Israeli government’s bombardment of the densely-populated Gaza Strip is not a crime. More than 200 people, including 58 children, have already fallen victim to Israeli bombs according to official figures”. Israeli airstrikes have claimed the lives of over 200 Palestinians, many of them children and have left more than 2,500 people homeless. Despite all that, no comments have been made on the part of the German Green party candidate regarding the atrocities being witnessed by the Palestinian people.