Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul says the occasion is wrong to proclaim a sovereign Palestinian state, and that such a decision would send a "wrong signal”.
Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul says the occasion is wrong to proclaim a sovereign Palestinian state, and that such a decision would send a "wrong signal”.
Not helping whom? Explain.
Because from where I’m sitting, German policy is very obviously uneven. It actively arms one side while suppressing support for the other side (to the point where it is reasonable to see it as systematic) and puts a priori roadblocks to investigating genocide allegations against it.
In light of these facts, the positive things you listed ring extremely performative. “Criticize” construction of settlements, without doing anything about it. “Calling for more help”, without doing anything about it. Wants to recognize Palestine after some imaginary future negotiation, which the Israeli side has made functionally impossible, and has used as a pretext to deploy salami tactics, and all the while Germany doing nothing about it.
From where I’m sitting, I see Germany bending over backwards for Israel, and being only performatively acceptable for Palestine. And when other victims of past German crimes, like Namibia, are calling them out, I see absolutely no reason to cut Germany any kind of slack. I see German Rememberance culture being weaponized through the legislation and institutionalization of the shameful definition of the IHRA to attack pro-Palestinian voices and entrench Jewish supremacy in Israel-Palestine. I see German politics weaponize criticism of Israel as a way to externalize onto migrants its own antisemitism, as if antisemitism is a foreign pathogen imported by migrants. At the same time Germany has never elevated to the level of Staatsraison the protection of Romani people, also victims of the same Holocaust. Never made it its Staatsraison to protect Namibians, victims of the first German genocide. Why would I see any this as evidence of something other than racism?
Germany has implicated itself in Israeli apartheid and genocide. It arms a state that actively skirts ICJ orders in an ongoing Genocide trial. And it really didn’t have to. Germany could have said “we want justice done and will wait to see what the court finds out”. Germany could instead stand by the Israeli people with humanitarian aid, with open borders for those who choose to flee war, with sending doctors, social workers, civil defence supplies, while distancing itself from the war machine and the Israeli state crimes. There is a moral road that Germany could have taken, while still respecting its historical debts. But it did not. So I see ZERO reason to “help” Germany. I see every reason to castigate and to shame German hypocrisy.
To be absolutely clear: this attitude comes from a feeling of betrayal. I actually admire Germany and used to hold its Rememberance culture as a model for the world. I am infuriated at seeing these betrayals. If you read acidity here, yea, this is what a hurt friend sounds like.