Open letter
Stars demand from Friedrich Merz Waffenexport-Stop to Israel
Jella Haase, Shirin David, Ski AGGU: Chancellor Friedrich Merz asked over 200 German celebrities in an open letter to stop weapon exports to Israel.
The message of the superstars is clear: talking alone is no longer enough. In clear words, more than 200 German cultural workers now turn to Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (69, CDU). “Don’t let Gaza die, Mr. Merz,” is the unmistakable heading of your.
Well-known faces from the German media landscape can be found among the signatories: the moderators Joko Winterscheidt, Klaas Heufer-Umlauf, Giovanni Zarrella and Jochen Schropp have signed as well as comedian Tedros “Tecebrhan”. The music scene is also prominently represented – from rapper Shirin David to Joy Denalane and Ebow to Max Giesinger, Johannes Oerding, Ski Aggu and Zartmann. The acting team includes names such as Jessica Schwarz, Daniel Brühl, Jella Haase, Karoline Herfurth, Christiane Paul, Anna Thalbach, Meret Becker, Benno Fürmann, Armin Rohde and Jürgen Vogel.
Friedrich Merz put pressure on three demands
“They have taken a position in the past few days and criticized the Israeli government,” the artists write to Friedrich Merz, which the letter is explicitly aimed. “We appreciate that, but one thing is clear: words alone do not save life.” The celebrities formulate three concrete demands: an immediate stop of all German weapon exports to Israel, the suspension of the association agreement between the EU and Israel as well as the demand for immediate ceasefire and unhindered access for humanitarian aid in Gaza.
The signatories appeal to humanity with urgent words: “Mothers. Fathers. Children. Children who are not part of this war – and yet bear his whole load.” Director Laura Fischer (39), one of the initiators of the letter, explains in the “Spiegel” how quickly the support came about: “We started with our own contacts. Many artists were grateful for the idea and offered to request further celebrities.” She wrote the letter together with the human rights organization Avaaz.
Clear positioning despite the difficult mixture
The celebrities leave no doubt about their attitude: they condemn “the gruesome crimes of Hamas”, but at the same time emphasize that no crime legitimizes “to punish millions of innocent people collectively”. Fischer emphasizes the desire in the cultural scene to position itself politically: “You can tell that there is currently a great need.” The appeal to Merz is deliberately chosen: “Mr. Merz – you are one of the few who can move Israel to change the course.”
This condition has nothing to do with dignity
Even if the war ended tomorrow: the majority of the almost 2.1 million Palestinians no longer have a home. A look from the Israeli side of the border reveals the extent of the devastation. According to the latest surveys by Hebrew University, at least 70 percent of the buildings are destroyed and uninhabitable, around 88 percent of the coastal strip, according to the UN Nothilfebüro Ocha now under the control of the Israeli military (IDF). The population was cried together to twelve percent of the Gaza strip. Since the attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023, 60,000 people died in Gaza
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The second open letter within a few months
It is not the first time that German celebrities become active in this matter. As early as June, cultural workers like actors Axel Prahl, climate activist Luisa Neubauer, sociologist Harald Welzer, musician Michael Barenboim and actress Enissa Amani wrote a similar letter to Merz in which they demanded a reverse of German Israel.
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Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
